CHILDREN  oFTHEmiHER 


LIBRARY    OF    THE    THEOLOGICAL    SEMINARY 

PRINCETON,     N.    J. 
PRESENTED  BY 

PHINGETOli    UNIVERSITY   LIBRARY 


BV  1475  .D3 

Dadmun,  Frances  May,  1»/^ 

Children  of  the  Father 


THE  BEACON  PRESS  PUBLICATIONS 
IN  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


THE  NEW  BEACON  COURSE 
OF  GRADED  LESSONS 


William  I.  Lawrance 
Florence  Buck 


Editors. 


CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 


THEME 

I  have  written  unto  you,  little  children,  because  ye  know 
the  Father. 

IJohn2:13. 


CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 


A  Manual  for  the  Religious 
Instruction  of  Children  of  Primary  Grade 


PREPARED   ESPECIALLY  FOR  PUPILS 
EIGHT  YEARS  OF  AGE 


By  FRANCES  M.  DADMUN,  A.  M. 


PRINTED  IN  BOSTON,  U.  S.  A. 

THE  BEACON  PRESS 

25  BEACON  STREET 
BOSTON,  MASS. 


Copyright,  1916,  bt 
THE  BEACON  PRESS,  Inc. 

All  rights  reserved 


PREFACE 

This  volume  is  intended  for  the  instruction  of  pupils 
eight  years  of  age,  and  should  follow  the  manual  entitled 
''Living  Together/'  prepared  by  the  same  author  for 
children  of  seven.  These  two  books,  together  with 
a  third  for  the  age  of  six  which  is  soon  to  appear,  may 
be  used  with  pupils  of  the  Primary  Department  in  any 
desired  order.  The  editors  believe,  however,  that  the 
best  results  will  be  secured  when  each  is  used  in  the 
order  indicated  and  for  the  age  for  which  it  is  prepared. 

It  will  be  noted  as  these  manuals  in  The  Beacon 
Course  appear,  that  with  the  advance  of  the  pupil  in 
years  the  lessons  are  taken  from  the  Bible  in  increasing 
numbers.  As  the  children  grow  older  the  Biblical  mate- 
rial is  more  likely  to  become  a  permanent  part  of  their 
mental  and  spiritual  equipment.  Through  the  use  of 
separate  stories  and  passages  adapted  to  their  present 
capacities  and  need,  they  are  being  prepared  for  that 
connected  study  of  the  Bible  which  begins  a  httle  later 
in  the  course.  In  the  meantime  they  are  having  ethi- 
cal principles  and  spiritual  influences  brought  to  bear 
upon  their  developing  lives  at  the  most  receptive  period. 
Stories  from  other  sources  have  been  added  to  the 
Bible  material,  in  order  that  they  may  be  taught  in 
early  years  the  universaUty  of  God's  providence, 
authority  and  revelation. 

The  hand-work  offered  is  varied  from  lesson  to 
lesson,  so  as  to  keep  the  interest  constantly  quickened; 
it  is  artistic,  in  order  that  from  the  first  children  may 
be  given  high  standards;  and  it  is  in  every  case  directly 

vii 


Vlll  PREFACE 

related  to  the  lesson^  so  as  to  reinforce  the  teaching. 
The  effort  is  made  to  keep  it  within  the  capacity  of  the 
pupil  of  eight,  having  in  mind  the  fact  that  abihty  to 
do  hand-work  grows  from  week  to  week  with  practice 
and  with  the  development  of  the  child.  The  home- 
work offered,  if  faithfully  carried  out,  will  extend  the 
child's  instruction  in  reUgion,  unite  the  school  and  the 
home  in  a  worthy  task,  and  emphasize  in  the  child's 
mind  the  universal  need  and  the  immediate  application 
of  the  Sunday  teaching. 

The  Beacon  Course  in  Religious  Education  is 
planned  to  furnish  a  separate  manual  for  each  age  from 
four  to  twenty-one.  It  presupposes  the  acceptance  of 
the  results  of  modern  scholarship,  and  aims  to  promote 
clear  and  rational  ideas,  right  impulses,  and  a  keen 
appreciation  of  our  reUgious  heritage.  It  seeks  to  train 
pupils  to  a  whole-hearted  consecration  to  great  ideals, 
and  to  inspire  them  to  devoted  service.  These  pur- 
poses have  dominated  both  its  inception  and  its  de- 
velopment. 

This  volume,  with  others  already  publi^ed  or  soon 
to  appear,  will  indicate  clearly  the  ideas  that  are  shaping 
the  Beacon  Course  and  the  ideals  that  animate  it.  The 
moral  and  spiritual  welfare  of  the  pupil  has  been  kept 
constantly  in  mind.  Materials  have  been  chosen  and 
methods  adopted  solely  for  their  efficiency  in  promot- 
ing this  high  end.  Much  as  we  desire  that  those  who 
are  taught  from  these  books  shall  be  furnished  thereby 
with  greater  knowledge  and  clearer  ideas,  we  wish  even 
more  that  perceptions  of  right  and  wrong  may  be- 
come increasingly  clear  that  moral  purposes  shall  be 
strengthened,  and  that  reverance  for  all  that  is  sacred 
shall  become  the  instinctive   response   of   the   soul. 

The  Editors. 


CONTENTS 

The  Purpose  op  the  Course        xi 

The  Child  of  Eight xiv 

Preparing  the  Lesson xviii 

The  Work  op  the  Pupil xxii 

Home  Work xxvi 

Memory  Work xxix 

PART  I 

Children  op  God 

Theme :    Behold  what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed  upon 
us,  that  we  should  be  called  children  of  God. — I  John  3:1. 

Lesson    1  Joseph  and  his  Father  Jacob 3 

2  The  Story  of  Jacob's  Dream  at  Bethel 10 

3  Joseph  as  Governor  of  Egypt 14 

4  Joseph  and  his  Brothers 20 

5  The  Little  Maid  of  Naaman  the  Syrian      ....  25 

6  The  Legend  of  Jubal 30 

7  Serving  the  Lord  with  Gladness 35 

8  Theocrite  and  the  Angel 39 

PART  II 

Children  op  Prophecy 

Theme:   I  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  saying,  Whom  shall  I  sena, 
and  who  will  go  for  us?     Then  I  said.  Here  am  I;  send  me. 

— Isaiah  6:  8. 

Lesson   9    The  Childhood  of  Samuel 47 

10  The  Man  of  God 52 

11  How  Samuel  Met  David 58 

12  The  Pastor  of  the  Pilgrims 64 

13  The  Still,  Small  Voice 72 

14  The  Call  of  Isaiah 77 

15  The  Boy  Jesus  in  the  Temple 83 

16  John  the  Baptist             89 

17  On  the  Road  to  Damascus 94 


X  CONTENTS 

PART  III 

Children  of  God's  People 

Theme:  I  will  he  their  God, and  they  shall  heXmy  people — II  Cor- 
inthians 6:  17. 

Lesson  18    The  Champion  of  the  Living  God       ....  101 

19  Josiah  the  King 107 

20  The  Windows  which  were  Open  Toward  Jerusalem  1 13 

21  The  King's  Cupbearer         119 

22  The  Building  of  the  Dome  of  Florence        .     .     .     .124 

23  The  Maid  Sent  by  God 131 

24  The  Man  Without  a  Country 139 

25  The  Peace-Pipe 145 

PART  IV 
Jesus  and  the  Father 

Theme:   Every  good  gift  and  every  perfect  boon  is  from  above,  com- 
ing down  from  the  Father  of  lights. — James  1 :  17. 

.Lesson  26     "Thine  Inner  Chamber" 153 

27  The  Pharisee  and  the  Publican 157 

28  "Seek,  and  ye  shall  find" 161 

29  The  Prodigal  Son 165 

30  The  Last  Supper 169 

PART  V 

Doers  op  the  Word 

Theme:  Be  ye  doers  of  the  word,  and  not  hearers  only. — James  1 :  22 

Lesson  31   ^The  Story  of  Stephen 177 

32  How  Peter  was  Set  Free 183 

33  St.  Francis  and  the  Sultan 187 

34  The  Rose  of  Hungary 194 

35  The  Legend  Beautiful 200 

36  Our  Lady's  Tumbler 204 

37  The  Peace  of  St.  Cuthbert 210 

38  The  Holy  Grail         215 

39  The  Silver  Candlesticks 221 

40  Children  of  the  Day 228 


THE  PURPOSE  OF  THE  COURSE 

In  this  book  are  brought  together  stories  of  men  and 
women  and  little  children  whose  relations  with  their 
Father  God  appeal  to  the  understanding  of  the  eight- 
year-old  pupil  and  give  meaning  of  religious  or  ethical 
import  to  the  experiences  of  his  own  life. 

The  first  thing  to  do,  therefore,  in  teaching  this 
course,  is  to  secure  the  pupil's  sympathy  for  the  person 
about  whom  the  story  is  told.  Let  him  follow  so  closely 
the  experiences  of  the  hero  that  they  may  add  to  and 
enrich  his  own  personal  experiences.  For  while  we 
learn  from  the  Law  of  Apperception  that  we  may  reach 
a  child  only  by  appealing  to  him  through  such  exper- 
iences as  are  personal,  we  must  not  think  that  these  are 
limited  to  the  actual  events  of  his  own  little  life, —  to 
the  morning  sunshine,  the  breakfast  table,  and  the  road 
to  school.  His  world  is  far  wider  than  this,  especially 
if  you  tell  him  stories.  His  imagination  helps  him  to 
experience  a  great  deal  by  proxy,  and  it  is  our  privilege, 
in  religious  education,  to  select  stories  which  will  give 
him  concepts  of  those  things  in  life  which  are  pure  and 
true,  lovely  and  of  good  report.  Nor  must  we  think 
that  the  person  whose  beautiful  adventures  will  appeal 
to  his  imagination  should  be  a  child  in  years.  ^T 
draw  no  distinction,"  said  Aristotle,  ^ ^between  young  in 
years  and  young  in  disposition."  No  more  does  the 
child.  It  is  the  motive  which  counts.  If  it  be  pure  as 
are  the  pure  in  heart,  single-minded  and  direct  as  youth, 
and  inspired  by  the  courage  that  thinks  not  of  dis- 

xi 


Xii  THE    PURPOSE    OF   THE   COURSE 

appointment,  what  matters  it  whether  the  hero  be 
eight  or  eighty? 

Do  not  think,  then,  that  because  these  ''Children  of 
the  Father"  are  not  all  of  the  primary  department  that 
their  stories  are  beyond  the  understanding  of  the  pupils 
you  are  teaching.  Consider,  rather,  the  qualities  which 
make  the  prophet  Samuel  as  much  a  child  of  the  Father 
as  the  little  boy  who  served  in  the  temple.  So  picture 
him  that  your  pupils  will  think  of  Samuel  as  a  friend 
whom  they  have  known,  and  whom  they  long  to  imi- 
tate, not  only  hearing  God's  word  themselves,  but 
serving  him  all  through  that  wonder-bringing  future 
which  stretches  out  before  them.  Thus  you  accom- 
plish the  didactic  aim  of  these  lessons,  which  is  to 
strengthen  the  conception  of  the  Father  which  the  chil- 
dren already  possess — "I  have  written  unto  you,  little 
children,  because  ye  know  the  Father" — ,  and  to  make 
their  love  of  God  an  inspiration  for  right  conduct. 

Since  children  of  eight  have  specific  ethical  needs, 
the  lesson  subjects  have  been  selected  with  these  re- 
quirements in  mind.  Ideals  of  conduct  and  of  service — 
obedience,  perseverance,  courage — occur  throughout 
the  course,  like  the  threads  of  the  woven  cord  which 
holds  the  beads  together;  but  like  the  cord,  these  ideals 
are  not  conspicuous.  They  have  not  been  made  the 
subject  of  groups  for  special  study.  In  life  we  do  not 
practice  obedience  for  one  month,  and  perseverance  for 
another.  Occasions  for  exercising  these  virtues  come 
without  order,  usually  unexpectedly,  and  the  practice 
of  one  virtue  is  apt  to  involve  another.  So  is  it  in 
these  stories  of  life.  Opportunities  for  teaching  lessons 
in  right  conduct  repeat  themselves,  and  the  ethical  cord 
is  no  less  present  for  not  being  visible. 

The  course  is  divided  into  five  groups,  adaptable  to 
tlie  calendar  of  the  school  which  uses  the  lessons. 


THE   PURPOSE   OF   THE    COURSE  xiii 

Each  group,  like  each  lesson,  has  its  purpose  stated; 
but  the  teacher  is  asked  to  remember,  that  whatever 
the  specific  purpose  may  be,  of  group  or  lesson,  her  aim 
throughout  is  to  develop  the  character  and  enlarge  the 
ideals  of  her  pupils  through  their  love  of  God  and  their 
sympathy  with  other  children  of  the  Father. 


THE  CHILD  OF  EIGHT 

The  child  of  eight  is  more  of  a  problem  than  the  child 
of  seven.  A  simple  truth,  this;  and  yet  one  easily 
overlooked.  The  small  Sunday  school  frequently  finds 
it  convenient  to  group  pupils  of  seven  and  eight  in  one 
class.  Psychologically,  they  are  so  much  alike  that  the 
same  traits  are  assigned  to  both  in  a  single  chapter. 

But  life,  unlike  the  text-book,  does  not  confine  itself  to 
chapters.  It  is  not  static;  it  is  constantly  growing. 
The  plant  in  your  window  to-day  is  not  what  it  was 
yesterday.  It  may  look  the  same;  but  a  closer  exam- 
ination will  show  you  new  shoots  which  will  change  its 
form  considerably  when  they  develop. 

So  is  it  with  the  child.  Look  at  him  on  his  eighth 
birthday,  measuring  his  height  against  the  wall  to  see 
how  much  he  has  grown  since  yesterday.  You  smile 
at  his  surprise  and  chagrin;  but  the  boy  is  right  and  you 
are  wrong.  The  marks  on  the  wall  do  not  tell  every- 
thing. It  is  true,  the  quahties  of  character  belonging 
to  the  child  of  seven,  which  we  arrange  so  neatly  in  our 
note-books,  are  still  present  in  the  child  of  eight.  "  The 
heart  is  relatively  weak  for  the  size  of  the  body,  re- 
sulting in  easy  fatigue," — that  means  patience.  Yes, 
and  now  it  means  more  patience,  for  both  body  and 
mind  are  increasingly  active.  Conscious  of  his  eight 
years,  the  boy  will  wish  to  do  more  to-day  than  he  did 
yesterday.  Again,  ^'He  has  a  tendency  to  imitate  the 
people  he  admires."  Many  children  never  outgrow  this 
tendency,  but  the  eight-year-old  boy  is  less  willing  to  let 
you  know  that  his  conduct  is  affected  by  admiration; 

xiv 


THE    CHILD    OF   EIGHT  XV 

he  thinks  it  isn't  quite  manly  to  be  openly  dependent 
upon  other  people.  This  means  not  only  patience  on 
your  part,  but  tact,  the  power  not  to  seem  to  lead,  ability 
to  put  yourself  in  the  background  while  you  suggest  the 
ideas  to  be  admired  so  adroitly  that  the  child  thinks  he 
has  discovered  them  for  himself.  More  than  this,  you 
knew  last  year  that  you  must  distinguish  between  fact 
and  fancy  between  the  imaginary  world  and  literal 
truth.  This  year,  you  must  be  still  more  careful,  for 
the  real  world  is  now  very  real  indeed,  and  the  child 
more  than  ever  keen  to  detect  confusion  between  it  and 
he  world  of  imagination.  A  clumsy  treatment  of 
symbolic  stories  might  result  in  scorn  and  distrust. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  growing  mind  is  more  than  ever 
appreciative  of  really  beautiful  imaginative  stories. 
Think  how  children  love  the  King  Arthur  tales;  consider 
that  many  Bible  stories  are  quite  as  appeahng  to  the 
love  of  great  deeds.  This  sense  of  appreciation  is  all 
to  your  advantage.  It  is  also  an  advantage  that  the 
child  of  eight  is  more  ready  to  discuss  for  himself 
simple  problems  of  conduct  suggested  by  the  lesson- 
story.  See  to  it  that  the  problems  remain  simple — this 
part  is  supremely  yours,  to  keep  the  class  on  safe 
ground;  but  let  him  raise  questions  himself.  He  will 
get  far  more  from  the  discussion  if  the  contributions 
to  it  are  his  own. 

Again,  he  still  has  perfect  confidence  in  the  existing 
order  of  things,  but  he  does  not  always  show  the  same 
delightful  confidence  in  you, — not  because  he  distrusts 
you,  but  because  he  thinks  himself  more  self-sufficient. 
He  no  longer  walks  beside  you,  with  his  hand  in  yours; 
he  runs  ahead.  Yet  he  is  ready  and  eager  to  come 
back  and  tell  you  of  his  fresh  discoveries,  and  then  is 
the  time  when  he  is  really  showing  a  beautiful  confidence 
which  you  will  receive  heartily. 


XVI  THE    CHILD    OF   EIGHT 

This  confidence  extends  to  his  conception  of  God. 
He  feels  no  awe,  and  consequently  little  of  what  we 
call  reverence;  but  his  trust  in  the  Father  is  of  a  nature 
to  put  us  older  ones  to  shame, — we  who  have  lost  our 
way  and  found  it  again  only  by  groping. 

A  teacher  told  a  class  of  boys,  eight  years  old  and 
over,  the  story  of  two  children  who  lost  their  way  in 
the  woods.  They  wandered  about  until  they  lost  their 
courage  completely.  At  last,  one  of  them  kneeled 
down  under  a  great  oak,  and  asked  God  to  show  him 
the  way  home.  After  his  little  prayer  had  been  said, 
he  saw  that  the  sun  was  going  down,  and  all  at  once, 
he  remembered  that  it  set  behind  their  house,  for  his 
father  and  mother  sat  on  the  back  piazza  at  night  to 
watch  the  beautiful  sky.  So  he  took  his  little  sister's 
hand  and  led  her  toward  the  sunset,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  the  trees  were  less  dense  and  opened  to  show 
the  long-sought  farm-house.  They  had  been  very  near 
home  without  knowing  it. 

*'Now,"  said  the  teacher  in  conclusion,  "it  was  the 
boy's  common-sense  which  told  him  the  way  out  of  the 
wood;  but  who  gave  him  the  common-sense?" 

That  class  of  boys — matter-of-fact  little  boys,  not 
dreamers,  but  with  common-sense  in  every  line  of  their 
sturdy  faces — looked  at  the  teacher  in  surprise  at  such 
a  simple  question. 

''Who  gave  him  the  common-sense?  Why,  God,  of 
course!" 

"Of  course."  That  is  what  we  must  remember  in 
bringing  to  children  this  book  about  Children  of  the 
Father.  We  need  not  teach  them  that  they  too  are 
the  Father's  children.  If  this  were  to  be,  the  pupils 
themselves  would  be  the  better  teachers.  But  since 
God  is  our  Father,  we  must  so  live  as  to  be  worthy  of 
him.     And  to  show  children  the  way  of  life,  we  must 


THE    CHILD    OF    EIGHT  XVll 

know  where  their  tendencies  are  leading  them.  The 
child  of  eight  is  not  the  same  as  the  child  of  seven; 
what  will  he  be  next  year,  and  the  year  after? 

It  is  for  the  student  of  child-nature  to  consider  the 
future  as  well  as  the  present  meaning  of  psychological 
traits.  For  example,  every  human  being  has  the 
instinct  of  self-preservation,  good  and  necessary  in 
its  place.  We  see  people  now  and  then,  not  children, 
who  have  not  enough  of  it  and  we  long  to  help  them. 
But  unrestrained,  this  instinct  will  develop  into  sel- 
fishness, leading  to  envy,  a  carping  criticism  of  others, 
and  a  perverted  sense  of  justice.  It  is  a  straight  road 
to  destruction.  On  the  other  hand,  every  normal 
child  born  into  a  civilized  conamunity,  early  develops 
a  sense  of  right  and  wrong.  Over-developed,  this 
means  a  torturing  conscience  and  a  mind  occupied 
with  trifles;  properly  guided,  it  leads  to  justice,  sym- 
pathy, generosity,  unselfishness. 

So  with  the  other  budding  qualities  of  childhood, 
we  must  consider  their  future,  so  that  those  productive 
of  good  may  have  a  chance  to  grow,  while  those  con- 
taining the  elements  of  danger  may  gradually  die  out 
or  be  turned  to  useful  purposes.  The  responsibility 
is  greats- ''God  has  no  other  hands  but  ours" — but 
greater  still,  is  the  privilege  of  doing  the  Father's  work 
for  the  youngest  of  his  children. 


PREPARING  THE  LESSON 

In  this  age  of  enlightened  Sunday-school  teaching, 
it  may  seem  superfluous  to  emphasize  the  importance 
of  preparing  the  lesson.  Every  teacher  knows  that 
she  cannot  go  to  class  unprepared.  If  she  has  ever 
tried  it,  she  understands  quite  completely  the  meaning 
of  the  term  *  lasted  time." 

It  is  not  need  of  preparation  I  would  speak  of  here, 
but  of  adequate  preparation.  The  range  of  inade- 
quacy extends  a  long  way,  from  the  teacher  who  leaves 
preparation  to  the  last  half  hour  (or  less),  to  the  con- 
scientious soul  who  can  never  be  satisfied  because  we 
never  do  attain  our  ideals  in  this  world.  We  all  of 
us  belong  somewhere  along  this  range;  and  there  is 
no  one  who  is  earnestly  working  for  greater  efficiency 
who  cannot  be  helped  by  consideration  of  the  aim  of 
preparedness  in  teaching,  and  better  methods  for 
attaining  it. 

The  first  pitfall  for  most  of  us  is  in  not  beginning 
the  work  of  preparation  early  enough.  The  successful 
teacher  will  know  the  plan  and  purpose  of  the  year's 
work  before  she  starts  to  teach  her  first  lesson.  In 
this  course  on  ''Children  of  the  Father,"  she  should 
at  least  know  the  lessons  of  each  group,  and  how  she 
may  best  adapt  them  to  the  calendar  of  the  school  in 
which  she  is  teaching.  In  constructing  the  groups, 
the  lessons  have  not  been  tossed  in,  hit  or  miss;  they  are 
related,  each  in  its  own  place.  To  carelessly  change 
the  order  means  to  decrease  the  value  of  the  lesson. 
Neither  should  you  who  teach  blindly  follow  the  pre- 
scribed order  without  challenging  the  author's  thought. 

xviii 


PREPARING   THE   LESSON  XIX 

Why  does  the  Une  of  division  come  where  you  find  it? 
Why  is  a  certain  subject  chosen  instead  of  another  for 
carrying  out  the  purpose?  Asking  such  questions  will 
enable  you  to  think  with  the  author,  instead  of  holding 
her  at  arm's  length,  as  you  might  a  casual  acquaintance, 
whom  you  don't  care  to  know  very  intimately. 

Knowledge  of  the  whole  course  simplifies  very  much 
the  preparation  of  the  single  lesson;  but  here  too  we 
should  begin  early.  I  would  suggest  that  you  begin 
this  Sunday,  afternoon  or  evening,  to  prepare  the 
lesson  for  next  Sunday.  Otherwise  it  will  be  Saturday 
night  or  Sunday  morning  before  you  know  it.  Begin 
quite  soon  after  the  last  lesson  is  finished,  when  you 
are  in  the  spirit  of  teaching.  If  it  has  been  a  good 
lesson,  you  are  more  than  ready  to  do  it  again.  If  it 
has  not  been  quite  as  successful  as  you  could  wish, 
you  see  where  you  could  improve  next  time.  It  is  like 
answering  letters.  We  all  know  that  if  we  could 
answer  a  friend's  letter  as  soon  as  we  receive  it,  we 
should  have  a  better  chance  of  expressing  ourselves 
to  that  friend, — much  better  than  when  we  sit  down 
one,  two,  three  weeks  later,  take  our  pens,  and  gaze 
thoughtfully  out  of  the  window.  To  begin  your  prep- 
aration when  you  are  spiritually  charged  means  a 
lesson  better  taught,  a  happier  teacher — the  glow  of 
satisfaction  over  beginning  so  early  is  well  worth  the 
experience — and  less  expenditure  of  energy,  an  advan- 
tage which  should  appeal  especially  to  Americans, 
whose  great  problem  is  still  '^How  to  Live  on  Twenty- 
Four  Hours  a  Day." 

The  saving  of  energy  is  not  only  valuable  for  pur- 
poses of  economy,  but  interesting  from  the  point  of 
view  of  psychology.  You  need  not  spend  many 
minutes  in  this  first  period  of  preparation, —  half  an 
hour  will  sufl^ce.    Yet  by  doing  this,  you  are  letting 


XX  PREPARING    THE    LESSON 

in  eternity.  For  the  thoughts  set  in  motion  during 
that  first  half  hour  exist  all  the  week  below  the  surface 
of  consciousness,  and  when  you  finally  sit  down,  on 
Saturday  evening,  let  us  say,  to  plan  the  presentation 
of  your  lesson,  something  has  happened  without  any 
apparent  effort  on  your  part.  Those  thoughts  have 
gathered  new  material,  as  sea-weed,  floating  under 
water,  gathers  other  floating  particles;  except  that 
the  thought  in  the  sub-conscious  mind  attracts  what 
will  increase  its  value.  It  will,  of  course,  help,  if  during 
the  week  you  supply  your  submerged  ideas  with  proper 
nourishment.  There  are  intervals  in  the  lives  of  the 
busiest  of  us,  when  we  wait  for  trains,  or  cling  to  a 
strap  in  a  trolley  car,  or  wonder  why  the  kettle  doesn't 
boil.  Just  a  moment's  thought  on  next  Sunday's 
lesson  might  throw  light  on  some  phase  of  it. 

The  first  early  period  of  preparation  may  be  very 
short  indeed.  All  you  need  do  is  to  determine  subject, 
purpose,  and  the  general  character  of  the  teaching 
material.  Read  the  story  through,  to  see  how  it 
expresses  the  purpose  of  the  lesson.  Ask  yourself  if 
the  suggestions  given  in  the  Approach  are  adaptable 
to  your  class.  If  you  are  teaching  Lesson  14,  for  ex- 
ample, and  live  in  a  part  of  the  country  where  snow 
never  falls,  you  cannot  use  the  snow-balling  illustra- 
tion; you  must  find  another  which  contains  the  same 
idea.  The  best  material  for  introducing  the  story  is 
that  gathered  by  the  teacher  herself  from  the  lives  of 
her  pupils, — what  they  learn  in  school  during  the  week, 
what  games  they  play,  their  special  tastes  or  interests, 
the  traditions  of  their  parents.  Think  about  it  in 
your  intervals  of  waiting.  Gather  what  you  can,  from 
every  possible  source,  for  the  enrichment  of  your  lesson. 

When  the  end  of  the  week  comes,  sit  down  with 
your  store  and  select  the  best,  holding  what  is  left  in 


PREPARING   THE    LESSON  Xxi 

reserve,  in  case  of  accident.  Then  consider  the  story. 
If  it  is  one  which  your  pupils  are  Kkely  to  know  ah-eady, 
outHne  it  and  reduce  it  to  questions.  Let  them  tell  it 
if  possible,  but  be  prepared  to  keep  events  in  their 
logical  order,  leading  to  a  conclusion  which  will  express 
the  lesson-purpose.  If  you  are  to  tell  the  story  your- 
self, know  it  without  book.  See  it  as  if  it  were  before 
you  on  the  stage;  feel  the  action;  repeat  the  conversa- 
tion as  if  you  were  on  the  stage  yourself.  And  never 
forget  your  class;  let  them  be  always  with  you,  in  your 
quiet  room,  as  they  will  be  under  the  church  roof. 

Finally,  consider  whether  a  few  questions,  a  little 
discussion,  will  help  your  class  to  a  fuller  possession  of 
whatever  truth  the  lesson  has  to  teach.  Sometimes  a 
story  is  more  effective  if  you  say  nothing  about  the 
moral;  in  such  cases  go  at  once  to  the  expressional  or 
memory  work,  which  contains  the  same  idea  in  differ- 
ent form.  But  there  are  stories  which  are  the  more 
valuable  for  a  little  talk  about  their  meaning  and 
how  it  may  apply  to  the  pupils.  Here  again,  for  pointed 
application  which  is  also  tactful,  you  must  know  your 
class.  Make  out  your  own  questions  along  the  lines 
of  those  suggested  in  the  text-book.  Encourage  the 
children  to  talk  about  their  personal  experiences. 
The  lesson  will  mean  much  to  them  if  they  help  to 
develop  it.  But  you,  the  teacher,  must  be  prepared  to 
direct  their  remarks  into  proper  channels,  checking 
irrelevancy  but  appreciating  contributions  which  are 
really  valuable.  It  goes  without  saying  that  you  cannot 
keep  the  text-book  open  before  you  during  this  part  of 
the  lesson.  There  would  be  no  time  to  look  at  it. 
Indeed,  the  book  is  intended  for  the  teacher  to  use  at 
home,  and  had  better  be  left  there  when  she  goes  to  her 
class.  To  achieve  independence  of  the  text-book, — 
this  is  the  last  step  in  preparing  the  lesson. 


THE  WORK  OF  THE  PUPIL 

The  teacher^s  efficient  preparation  is  only  the  begin- 
ning of  her  task;  its  fulfillment  comes  when  the  pupil 
works  too.  He  may  listen  intently,  the  presentation 
may  appeal  to  his  understanding  as  completely  as  the 
most  exacting  pedagogist  could  desire;  but  unless  he 
does  something  to  confirm  and  deepen  the  impression, 
the  teacher  might  as  well  have  been  moulding  dry  sand. 

In  this  course  of  lessons,  three  methods  are  offered 
for  inducing  the  pupil  to  express  himself.  Each  is 
valuable  in  its  place,  although  all  three  cannot  usually 
be  brought  into  play  with  every  lesson, — ^unless  the 
parent  co-operates  with  the  teacher  and  the  pupil  does 
some  of  his  work  at  home. 

Informal  conversation:  This  is  covered  by  sugges- 
tions for  talks  before  and  after  the  story,  under  the 
headings  Approach,  Application,  and  sometimes  Ex- 
pressional  Work,  Such  suggestions,  even  when  they 
appear  as  direct  questions,  are  not  intended  to  limit 
the  teacher.  Children  are  surprisingly  inventive  and 
responsive,  and  they  like  immensely  to  talk  about 
their  own  experiences.  All  they  need  is  a  little  encour- 
agement. It  will  require  some  tact,  of  course,  to 
limit  their  remarks  to  the  subject  under  discussion; 
but  concentration  of  this  sort  is  excellent  training  both 
for  teacher  and  pupil. 

The  amount  of  conversation — aside  from  the  limi- 
tations of  time — ^must  be  determined  first  by  the  age 
and  experience  of  the  pupils,  second  by  the  character 
of  the  lesson.  Children  of  eight  can  naturally  offer  more 
valuable  material  for  discussion  than  those  who  are 

xxii 


THE    WORK    OF   THE    PUPIL  XXlll 

younger  and  less  sophisticated.  Also  the  observing 
power  of  individuals  is  sometimes  undeveloped;  we 
say  of  them  that  ''they  haven't  waked  up  yet,"  if 
only  we  don't  call  them  stupid.  Such  children  have 
to  be  inspired  by  questions  and  helped  by  sympathy. 
It  is  for  the  teacher  of  each  class  to  make  her  diagnosis 
and  decide  what  she  can  best  do  to  make  informal 
conversation  profitable. 

As  to  the  character  of  the  lesson  as  a  check  upon  free 
speech,  there  are  stories  whose  moral  effect  is  so  delicate 
that  talk  about  it  would  amount  to  clumsy  dissection, 
— to  breaking  a  butterfly  upon  a  wheel,  as  Emerson 
would  have  put  it.  And  it  may  be  that  pupils  will 
sometimes  find  the  application  of  the  moral  too  personal 
for  a  lengthy  consideration  in  public.  As  a  four-year- 
old  of  my  acquaintance  said  to  her  mother,  who  was 
reasoning  with  her  for  misconduct,  ''Mother,  I  think 
the  less  said  about  this,  the  better!" 

Hand-work:  In  this  course,  it  is  limited  to  coloring 
with  crayons,  the  pasting  of  pictures,  and  a  httle 
written  work.  Its  function  is  to  emphasize  the  thought 
already  presented  in  story  and  informal  conversation; 
it  should  never  precede  the  story  or  be  used  to  "keep 
the  pupils  busy."  Any  teacher  who  so  perverts  its 
purpose  had  better  give  up  her  class  and  devote  herself 
to  society.  Hand-work  is  a  natural  method  for  fixing 
an  impression;  as  Joseph  Lee  says,  man  and  manipula- 
tion belong  together*:  but  the  impression  must  be 
received  before  it  can  be  fixed.  A  child  learns  the 
memory  verse, — or  rather,  he  repeats  it.  He  colors  it, 
and  it  becomes  his  personal  property  to  be  treasured 
and  placed  on  the  mantel-piece  in  his  room.  So  with 
the  picture  which  he  pastes  in  the  frame  he  has  made 
beautiful.     The  value  of  his  imaginative  drawings  may 

*  In  Play  in  Education, 


XXIV  THE   WORK   OF  THE   PUPIL 

be  less  pennanent, — unless  he  is  a  genius  they  need  not 
remain  long  on  exhibition — but  from  an  educative  point 
of  view  they  are  wonderfully  effective.  They  require 
accurate  thinking,  teach  the  child  to  picture  his  thought 
and  train  the  creative  faculties.  The  skeleton  story 
is  a  rhetorical  exercise  with  which  the  majority  of  Fourth 
Grade  children  are  familiar  in  our  pubhc  schools.  By 
means  of  it,  the  pupil  fixes  in  his  memory  significant 
words,  and  creates  his  own  reading  lesson.  Finally, 
where  the  application  calls  for  original  ideas,  a  blank 
sheet  is  provided  for  the  full  and  free  inscription  of 
one^s  very  own  thoughts. 

Dramatization:  The  dramatic  method  of  expression 
is  rapidly  rising  in  favor  among  educators.  Acting 
the  story  is  the  next  thing  to  Hving  it.  Children  under 
six,  indeed,  actually  do  become  for  the  time  being  the 
people  or  things  they  impersonate.  The  eight-year- 
old  pupil  cannot  lose  himself  so  completely — that  self 
is  too  interesting — ^but  he  revels  in  action  and  his 
imagination  is  keen  to  realize  situations.  He  likes  to 
know  how  it  feels  to  stand  sternly  erect  and  pronounce 
the  rebuke  of  a  Samuel  to  a  crouching  Saul;  and  when 
he  knows,  he  will  understand  Samuel  better.  Talk  to 
him  of  sympathy,  and  you  might  as  well  address  the 
wind;  but  ask  him  to  act  the  story,  and  the  thing  is 
done  without  any  need  of  talk. 

The  actual  work  of  dramatization  should  be  done  by 
the  class.  If  they  can  improve  on  the  suggestions  for 
scene-division  which  are  given  with  the  lesson,  so  much 
the  better.  As  far  as  is  possible  without  friction,  let 
them  assign  parts.  They  will  usually  need  help  with 
the  speeches,  although  the  spirit  of  the  diction  is  more 
important  than  its  form  and  it  is  better  not  to  be  too 
punctihous.  Beautiful  as  the  language  of  our  Bible  is, 
there  was  a  time  when  it  was  original.     Costuming  is 


THE  WORK  OF  THE   PUPIL  XXV 

not  necessary  and  requires  outside  work;  but  the  school 
which  makes  dramatization  a  habit  can  gradually 
accumulate  a  wardrobe  as  it  does  a  library,  to  be 
drawn  upon  as  occasion  requires. 

Finally,  every  lesson  which  can  be  dramatized, 
should  be  dramatized;  but  in  planning  the  expressional 
work  for  this  course,  I  have  taken  the  point  of  view  of 
the  conservative.  If  our  children  could  do  their  acting 
on  a  grassy  lawn  or  in  their  old  clothes,  the  difficulties 
of  falling  prostrate,  like  Goliath  or  Saul  of  Tarsus,  or  of 
performing  acrobatic  feats  like  Our  Lady^s  Tumbler, 
might  be  overcome;  but  floors  are  dusty  and  there  is  a 
tradition  that  on  Sunday  one^s  raiment  should  be  of 
exceptional  purity.  Since  we  desire  the  co-operation 
of  the  parents,  let  us  proceed  with  care.  Other  stories 
might  be  acted  too  realistically,  like  the  battle-scenes 
in  The  Maid  sent  by  God.  And  there  are  other  scenes, 
like  that  Last  Supper  in  the  upper  room,  where  dramati- 
zation would  be  an  intrusion.  Only  the  consecrated 
peasants  of  Oberammergau  have  so  far  been  privileged 
to  present  the  closing  scenes  of  the  life  of  Jesus.  In 
deciding  which  of  these  stories  of  Children  of  the  Father 
can  be  more  deeply  impressed  upon  her  class  through 
acting  as  upon  a  stage,  the  teacher  must  be  guided  by 
the  attitude  and  adaptability  of  her  pupils  and  by  her 
own  sense  of  fitness.  Any  possible  lessening  of  rever- 
ence must  be  avoided  at  all  costs. 


HOME  WORK 

Home  Work  is  furnished  with  these  lessons  to  further 
co-operation  between  parent  and  teacher,  and  to 
deepen  the  impression  produced  by  work  done  in  the 
class.  Suggestions  for  doing  this  are  as  varied  as 
possible.  The  memory  verse  should  be  repeated  fre- 
quently. The  hand-work  may  be  finished,  if  necessary, 
and  kept  on  view  for  the  enrichment  of  the  family. 
The  Bible  story,  told  freely  in  class,  may  be  read  in  the 
original  English.  Sometimes  stories  or  poems  carry  out 
the  lesson  theme,  and  pictures  are  associated  with  it; 
or  the  children  can  be  encouraged  to  play  games  based 
upon  the  dramatization  of  the  lesson. 

How  is  such  co-operation  to  be  secured?  The 
ideal  way  would  be  for  each  parent  to  own  a  copy 
of  the  text-book,  and  follow  the  lessons  from  Sunday 
to  Sunday.  The  teacher  or  superintendent  might 
bring  this  about  by  showing  the  book  to  the  parents 
and  arousing  their  enthusiasm  over  the  possibilities  of 
co-ordinating  home  and  Sunday  school.  More  fathers 
and  mothers  are  eager  for  this  than  we  realize.  If  the 
book  cannot  be  owned  in  the  home,  the  teacher  must 
assign  to  each  pupil  work  to  be  done  during  the  week, 
such  as  learning  the  memory  verse  and  completing 
the  hand-work,  and  send  to  the  parents  reading  refer- 
ences with  other  suggestions  for  correlated  work. 

The  books  referred  to  are  frequently  to  be  found  in 
public  or  Sunday-school  libraries.  The  name  of  the 
publisher  and  the  price  of  the  book  is  given  for  those 
parents  who  wish  to  purchase  them.     There  is  also  a 

xxvi 


HOME   WORK  XXVll 

list  of  pictures,  with  the  pubHsher  and  catalogue  num- 
ber of  each  print. 

LIST  OF  BOOKS  AND  PICTURES  FOR 
HOME   WORK* 

A  Wonder  Book.    Nathaniel  Hawthorne 

Houghton,  Mifflin  and  Company,  Boston,  Mass. 

(Riverside  Literature  Series) $  .40 

The  Pilgrim's  Progress.    John  Bunyan. 

Houghton,  Mifflin  and  Company. 

(Riverside  School  Library) 60 

The  same;  illustrated  by  the  brothers  Rhead. 

The  Century  Company,  New  York  City 1 .  50 

Joan  of  Arc.    Boutet  de  Monvel. 

The  Century  Company.     Illustrated 3 .  50 

St.  Nicholas. 

The  Century  Company.    Per  copy .25 

Apples  of  Gold.    Clara  Bancroft  Beatley. 

American  Unitarian  Association,  Boston,  Mass.    .      .     .       1 .  00 
The  Little  Child  at  the  Breakfast  Table.    Wilham 

and  Mary  Gannett. 

The  Beacon  Press,  25  Beacon  St.,  Boston,  Mass.        .     .         .50 
The  Beacon. 

The  Beacon  Press Per  copy         .03 

Fifty  Famous  Stories  Retold.    James  Baldwin. 

American  Book  Company 35 

The  Golden  Windows.    Laura  E.  Richards. 

Little,  Brown  and  Company,  Boston,  Mass 1 .  00 

God's  Troubadour.    Sophie  Jewett. 

Thomas  Y.  Crowell  and  Company,  New  York  City  .     .       1 .25 
The  Story  of  the  Grail  and  the  Passing  of  Arthur. 

Howard  Pyle. 

Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York 2 .  00 

Wilde's  Bible  Pictures. 

178  Pyramids  of  Egypt. 

179  Pyramids  and  Sphynx. 

180  View  on  the  Nile,  north  from  the  Temple  of  Isis. 

181  Heliopolis. 

*The  price  given  does  not  include  postage. 


XXVUl  HOME   WORK 

316    Cairo,  Egypt. 

108    The  Pharisee  and  the  Pubhcan.    Dore. 
112    Christ  and  the  Young  Ruler.     Hofmann. 
417    Infant  Samuel.    Reynolds. 
W.  A.  Wilde  Company,  120  Boylston  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Price  of  single  print .01 

University  Prints. 
Series  B. 

72    St.  Francis  before  the  Sultan.    Giotto. 
127    St.  Stephen  Preaching.     Fra  Angelico. 
Series  C. 

156    La  Belle  Jardiniere.    Raphael. 
288    Madonna  with  St.  Catherine.    Titian. 
Bureau  of  University  Travel,  Trinity  Place,  Boston, 
Mass. 
Price  of  single  print  ..••••••••        .01 


MEMORY  WORK 

The  following  requirements  are  made  for  the  memory 
work  of  this  grade : 

I.    The  first  Great  Commandment* 

Thou  Shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart, 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind. 

Matthew  22:37. 

II.  One  memory  verse  from  each  of  the  first  four 
groups  and  three  from  the  last  group,  including 
the  Golden  Rule.  These  may  be  recited  when 
a  key-word  is  given;  for  example,  ^^heareth'^ 
for  the  verse,  ^^  Speak,  Lord,  for  thy  servant 
heareth.^' 

III.    Pippa's  song  from  Browning^s  poem,   '^Pippa 

Passes,'' 

The  year's  at  the  spring 
And  day's  at  the  mom; 
Morning's  at  seven; 
The  hillside's  dew-pearled; 
The  lark's  on  the  wing; 
The  snail's  on  the  thorn: 
God's  in  his  heaven — 
All's  right  with  the  world! 

*  This  is  also  a  requirement  for  the  grade,  preceding  "Living  To* 


XXIX 


XXX  MEMORY  WORK 

IV.     The  following  verse  of    a  hymn  by  Theodore 
Chickering  Williams. 

0  the  ancient  earth  is  calling 
For  such  life  as  thine  may  be ! 
Ages  gone  were  stumbling,  falling, 
Toward  the  light  thine  eyes  shall  see. 
Though  the  old,  heroic  story 
Glow  with  noble  deed  sublime, 
There  shall  be  a  greater  glory 
In  the  coming,  golden  time. 
Gird  thee,  gird  thee,  0  my  brother, 
We  will  march  in  close  array. 
Trusting  God  and  in  each  other, 
We  are  children  of  the  day. 


PART  I 
CHILDREN  OF  GOD 

THEME 

Behold  what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed 
upon  us,  that  we  should  be  called  children  of  God. 

IJohnS.l. 


CHILDREN  OF  GOD 
The  Purpose  of  the  Group 

The  stories  of  this  group  picture  normal  children, 
whose  great  joys  and  little  sorrows  are  those  of  all 
children  living  under  normal  conditions.  There  are 
eight  lessons.  The  first  ^ve  teach  obedience  and  ser- 
vice. The  remaining  three  also  tell  of  service,  but  are 
more  concerned  with  gratitude  and  praise  to  the 
Heavenly  Father  for  the  love  he  ''hath  bestowed  upon 
us.'^ 

Schools  which  begin  their  class-work  later  than  the 
first  Sunday  in  September  will  not  be  able  to  use  all 
these  lessons.  In  the  first  group,  the  three  lessons  on 
Joseph  are  absolutely  essential.  The  stories  of  Jacob 
and  of  the  little  maid  of  Naaman  may  be  dropped  or 
retained  at  the  discretion  of  the  teacher.  The  lessons 
in  the  second  group  are  equal  in  value,  but  at  least  one 
should  be  taught. 

Home  Work 

In  only  one  of  the  lessons  is  provision  made  for  a 
review  of  work  done  at  home,  but  the  teacher  should 
form  the  habit  of  inquiring  regularly  for  such  work 
and  giving  it  warm  encouragement.  The  best  time  is 
usually  at  the  beginning  of  the  lesson,  either  before 
the  approach  to  the  new  story  or  in  connection  with  it, 
in  case  it  should  be  a  continuation  of  the  thought  of  the 
last  lesson. 


LESSON  I 
JOSEPH  AND  HIS  FATHER  JACOB 

The  Purpose 

Joseph's  unquestioning  obedience  is  the  thought  to 
be  emphasized  in  this  lesson.  He  does  not  stop  to 
argue,  when  Jacob  sends  him  to  learn  of  the  welfare 
of  his  brothers.  Yet  this  could  have  been  no  pleasant 
task.  The  brothers  did  not  love  him;  Joseph  was 
sharp  enough  to  know  that.  A  long  walk  which  is  to 
end  among  unfriendly  men  does  not  rouse  one's  en- 
thusiasm to  fever  heat.  The  temptation  to  look  for 
excuses  is  almost  insurmountable.  And  yet,  when 
Joseph  arrived  at  Shechem  and  his  brothers  were  not 
there,  he  did  not  turn  back  as  many  a  boy  would.  He 
pursued  his  journey  to  its  bitter  end.  That  the  end 
was  indeed  bitter  should  not  be  allowed  to  weaken  the 
emphasis  by  making  unflinching  obedience  seem  an 
unwise  course.  To  counteract  such  a  possibility,  make 
much  of  what  must  have  been  true, — that  the  boy  was 
comforted  in  his  grief  by  the  thought  that  he  had  at 
least  done  his  best  for  the  father  whom  he  loved  and 
who  loved  him.  It  is  through  such  loyal  obedience 
to  earthly  fathers  that  children  are  led  to  obey  the 
Heavenly  Father. 

The  Approach 

Perhaps  this  is  the  first  lesson  of  the  school  year. 
The  children  are  fresh  from  the  long  vacation  and  are 
more  ready  to  tell  you  and  each  other  what  they  have 

3 


4  CHILDREN   OF  THE   FATHER 

been  doing  all  summer  than  to  listen  to  any  story 
which  you  may  have  to  tell.  Yet  you  must  somehow 
produce  a  receptive  attitude  for  the  impression  to  be 
made  by  this  particular  story.  Just  how  you  do  it 
will  depend  upon  the  individuals  in  your  class,  but  the 
following  suggestion  is  offered  as  a  possible  ^ 'point  of 
contact.''  Most  normal  children  know  the  experience 
of  '^ running  errands",  even  in  play- time.  Have  the 
errands  ever  been  difficult,  or  unpleasant  to  do?  Have 
they  had  to  go  a  long  way,  when  they  would  have  liked 
to  do  something  else?  This  ought  to  bring  a  response 
and  perhaps  a  confession  of  shortcomings.  Doubtless 
you  yourself  remember  how  it  felt,  and  can  sympa- 
thize with  the  child,  who  is  the  more  ready  to  speak  of 
his  mistakes  because  of  your  sympathy.  Now,  wouldn't 
they  like  to  hear  how  Joseph  went  on  a  long  errand  for 
his  father?  Joseph  they  have  often  heard  of,  but  they 
cannot  hear  about  him  too  often,  because  he  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting  boys  in  our  Bible,  and  so  true  to 
his  father  that  every  boy,  or  girl  either,  would  be  glad 
to  know  a  boy  like  him.     This,  then,  is  the  story. 

Joseph  and  His  Father  Jacob 

Joseph  Hved  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  hundreds  of 
years  before  Jesus  was  born.  His  father,  Jacob,  loved 
him  so  much  that  his  brothers  were  jealous;  that  is, 
they  were  all  jealous  except  his  little  brother,  Benjamin, 
who  was  too  young  to  think  of  such  a  thing  as  hating 
anyone.  The  others  were  so  much  older  that  they  did 
not  really  know  Joseph.  They  had  never  played  to- 
gether. Indeed,  these  ten  older  brothers  had  to  work, 
looking  after  the  large  flocks  of  sheep  which  belonged 
to  their  father.  Sometimes,  the  work  was  not  done 
well,  and  Joseph  would  see  it  and  tell  his  father.     His 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  5 

brothers  hated  him  the  more  for  that.  They  had  to 
wear  rough  clothes,  while  Joseph  had  a  beautiful  coat 
of  many  colors  which  his  father  had  given  him,  and  they 
were  jealous  because  of  this,  also.  Finally,  Joseph  had 
two  dreams  which  made  them  very  angry. 

"Hear,  I  pray  you,''  said  Joseph,  ''this  dream  which 
I  have  dreamed:  for  behold,  we  were  binding  sheaves 
in  the  field,  and  lo,  my  sheaf  arose  and  stood  upright; 
and  behold,  your  sheaves  came  round  about  and  bowed 
low  before  my  sheaf.'' 

Then  his  brothers  said  to  him, 

''Shalt  thou  indeed  reign  over  us?" 

The  second  dream  was  even  more  strange.  Said 
Joseph, 

"I  have  dreamed  yet  another  dream;  behold,  the 
sun  and  moon  and  eleven  stars  bowed  low  before  me." 

You  may  be  thinking  that  it  would  have  been  just 
as  well  for  Joseph  to  have  kept  his  dreams  to  himself. 
Perhaps  his  father  thought  so,  too,  for  he  said, 

"What  is  this  dream  that  thou  hast  dreamed?  Shall 
I  and  thy  mother  and  thy  brethren  indeed  come  to  bow 
down  ourselves  before  thee  to  the  earth?" 

Soon  after  this,  Joseph's  brothers  took  their  flocks 
to  the  pastures  of  Shechem.  It  was  so  far  away  that 
they  did  not  come  home  at  night.  Jacob  wished  he 
knew  how  they  were,  but  it  was  a  long  distance  for  him 
to  walk,  so  he  called  Joseph,  and  said  to  him, 

"Do  not  thy  brothers  feed  the  flocks  in  Shechem? 
Come,  and  I  will  send  thee  unto  them." 

Now  it  was  a  hot  day,  and  Joseph  would  much 
rather  have  stayed  at  home  with  little  Benjamin,  under 
the  oak  trees.  Besides,  he  knew  his  brothers  would 
not  be  glad  to  see  him.  But  he  loved  his  father  and 
he  was  in  the  habit  of  doing  exactly  what  his  father 
told  him  to  do.     So  he  said  promptly, 


O  CHILDREN    OF   THE    FATHER 

''Here  am  I.'^ 

Then  said  Jacob, 

''Go  now,  see  if  it  is  well  with  thy  brothers,  and  well 
with  the  flock;  and  bring  me  word  again/' 

Joseph  started  at  once,  walking  rapidly  out  of  the 
valley  of  Hebron  in  which  they  lived,  and  came  to 
Shechem;  but  he  saw  nothing  of  his  brothers.  Did 
he  turn  back  and  tell  his  father  they  were  not  to  be 
found?  No,  that  would  worry  Jacob,  and  unless  he 
found  his  brothers,  there  was  no  use  in  his  having  come 
at  all.  He  looked  about  until  he  met  a  man,  who  was 
wandering  in  a  field. 

"What  seekest  thou?''  said  the  man. 

"I  seek  my  brothers;  tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  where  are 
they  feeding  the  flock?" 

"They  have  gone  away,"  said  the  man,  "for  I  heard 
them  say,  ^Let  us  go  to  Dothan.'  " 

Dothan  was  still  farther  off,  but  Joseph  knew  in 
which  direction  it  lay.  The  walking  was  not  good,  for 
there  were  pits,  or  deep  holes,  here  and  there,  and  he 
had  to  watch  his  path.  But  at  last  he  saw  his  brothers 
— ten  of  them — standing  near  the  sheep,  which  were 
busy  cropping  grass.  It  certainly  looked  as  if  all  were 
well  with  them,  but  he  would  go  and  see.  He  waved 
his  hand  to  attract  their  attention. 

They  saw  him,  but  they  did  not  wave  back.  Instead 
they  drew  close  together  and  began  to  talk  about  him. 

"Behold,  this  dreamer  cometh!  Come  now,  let  us 
slay  him  and  cast  him  into  a  pit,  and  we  will  say, 
'An  evil  beast  hath  devoured  him':  and  then  we  shall 
see  what  will  become  of  his  dreams." 

Reuben,  the  oldest  of  the  brothers,  would  not  agree 
to  this. 

"Let  us  not  take  his  life,"  he  said,  "cast  him  into  the 
pit,  but  do  not  hurt  him." 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  7 

The  others  respected  Reuben,  so  they  said  they 
would  not  hurt  Joseph;  but  when  he  came  up,  they  took 
a  hateful  pleasure  in  stripping  off  his  coat  of  many 
colors  and  letting  him  down  the  steep  sides  of  the  pit. 
It  was  dry,  fortunately,  but  the  sides  were  slippery  and 
Joseph  could  not  have  cUmbed  out,  even  if  he  had  been 
left  alone  there.  He  was  hungry  and  thirsty,  but  his 
brothers  gave  him  nothing,  although  they  sat  down  near 
by  to  eat  their  bread.  Poor  Joseph !  He  knew  they  had 
not  liked  him  for  some  time,  but  he  did  not  suppose 
they  would  ever  treat  him  like  this!  Yet  he  was  not 
sorry  he  had  come.  He  had  done  as  his  father  wished; 
and  his  father's  love  seemed  even  more  dear  to  him  now 
that  he  felt  the  hatred  of  his  brothers. 

Reuben  alone  of  the  brothers  had  not  sat  down  to 
eat.  He  went  away  by  himself,  to  think.  How  could 
he  get  Joseph  out  of  that  pit,  without  the  others  know- 
ing it? 

As  the  brothers  sat  there,  thinking  what  they  should 
do  with  Joseph,  they  noticed  a  rich  fragrance  in  the 
air,  and  looking  up,  they  saw  a  travelling  company  of 
Ishmaelites  coming  from  Gilead,  with  their  camels. 
They  were  on  their  way  to  Egypt  to  sell  spices  and 
balm  and  myrrh.  Suddenly,  one  of  the  brothers, 
named  Judah,  said, 

''Come,  let  us  sell  Joseph  to  the  Ishmaelites !'' 

The  brothers  liked  the  idea,  and  when  the  merchants 
came  up,  they  dragged  Joseph  out  of  the  pit  and  sold 
him  to  the  Ishmaelites  for  twenty  pieces  of  silver. 

The  caravan  was  already  far  away  when  Reuben 
returned.  Looking  into  the  pit,  he  found  it  empty. 
He  rent  his  clothes  in  despair  and  cried, 

''The  child  is  gone;  and  I,  whither  shall  I  go?" 

He  was  thinking  of  his  father,  Jacob. 

His  brothers  had  nothing  to  say,  not  even  Judah; 


8  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

but  they  thought  of  a  way  to  deceive  their  father. 
They  killed  a  goat,  and  dipped  Joseph's  beautiful  coat 
in  its  blood.  They  went  home  that  night,  and  carried 
the  coat  with  them. 

''This  we  have  found,"  they  said  to  Jacob:  ''see  now 
whether  it  be  thy  son's  coat  or  not.'' 

"It  is  my  son's  coat,  "  cried  Jacob,  "an  evil  beast 
hath  devoured  him.  Joseph  is  without  doubt  torn  in 
pieces." 

And  he  mourned  many  days,  and  refused  to  be  com- 
forted. But  if  he  had  known  it,  Joseph  was  thinking 
of  him  all  the  way  to  Egypt,  and  hoping  the  day  would 
come  when  he  should  see  his  dear  father  Jacob  and  tell 
him  that  he  had  obeyed  his  order  and  done  exactly 
what  he  had  been  told  to  do. 

Expressional  Work 

Although  the  story  of  Joseph  as  a  whole  is  most 
effective  in  tableaux,  this  lesson  is  not  adaptable  to 
dramatic  treatment.  The  strongest  action  centers 
about  the  pit,  and  emphasizes  the  jealousy  of  the 
brothers;  whereas  the  thought  to  be  remembered  is 
Joseph's  attitude  toward  his  father, — something  not 
easily  expressed  in  dramatics.  The  teacher  is  advised 
to  confine  immediate  application  to  memorizing  and 
coloring  the  text.  Ask  the  class  what  it  means.  Let 
the  children  tell  in  their  own  way,  that  it  means  first 
that  Joseph  was  ready  to  fulfill  the  word  of  his  father; 
second,  that  every  one  of  us  must  be  able  to  say  it 
when  the  call  comes. 

Memory  Verse 
And  he  said  to  him^  Here  am  I. 

Genesis  37:13. 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  9 

Home  Work 

Ask  the  children  to  be  able  to  tell  you  at  the  next 
lesson  about  someone  who  obeyed  as  promptly  as 
Joseph  did.  It  may  be  some  great  man  or  woman, 
whom  their  parents  can  tell  them  about;  better  still, 
it  may  be  a  child  of  their  own  acquaintance.  The 
parents  can  help  by  asking  the  children  what  success 
they  are  having.  It  is  better  for  them  to  find  instances 
of  obedience  in  others  than  for  them  to  boast  of  their 
own  accomplishments, —  since  they  naturally  imitate 
what  they  are  taught  to  admire. 

For  a  review  of  the  story  of  Joseph,  see  Genesis 
37:  3-35. 

The  parents  are  urged  to  co-operate  with  the  teacher 
in  having  the  hand-work  finished  at  home,  if  there  is 
not  time  in  class,  and  in  reviewing  the  memory-work. 

Supplementary  stories  which  teach  the  lesson  of 
obedience  are  the  Bible  story  of  the  Fall  and  Expul- 
sion, and  the  corresponding  story  of  Pandora. 
Hawthorne's  version  of  this,  **The  Paradise  of  Chil- 
dren," in  A  Wonder  Book,  is  not  only  a  charming 
interpretation  but  valuable  as  a  lesson  in  ethics. 


LESSON  2 
THE  STORY  OP  JACOB'S  DREAM  AT  BETHEL 

The  Purpose 

The  story  of  Jacob's  dream  is  told  at  this  point  to 
bring  assurance  of  God's  protecting  presence.  Joseph 
journeying  to  Egypt  is  deprived  of  the  immediate  pro- 
tection of  his  father  Jacob,  and  feels  a  great  need. 
What  more  natural  than  thought  of  his  father's  own 
experience  on  first  going  away  from  home?  Probably 
Joseph  knew  of  the  dream  at  Bethel,  and  would  think 
the  more  of  it  because  of  his  own  dreams,  which  he 
had  told  so  confidently  to  his  brothers. 

It  would  be  most  unwise  to  refer  in  any  way  to  the 
reason  for  Jacob's  journey.  He  appears  in  this  group 
of  stories  as  the  honored  father  of  Joseph,  and  a  child 
could  neither  understand  or  excuse  his  unjust  treatment 
of  Esau. 


A  Review  of  the  Last  Lesson 

Talk  with  the  children  about  Joseph  and  his  father. 
Have  them  recall  the  story  briefly.  What  did  the  boy 
do?  Yes,  he  obeyed  his  father  at  once.  What  did  he 
say  when  his  father  called  him?  Who  knows  of  some- 
one else  who  obeyed  (or  obeys)  promptly? 

If  other  work  has  been  done  at  home,  like  the  color- 
ing of  the  text,  ask  to  see  it.  Remember  to  encourage 
those  who  have  done  such  work,  or  who  have  talked 
about  the  story  with  their  fathers  and  mothers. 

10 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  11 

The  Approach  to  To-Day 's  Lesson 

Ask  the  children  if  their  fathers  tell  them  stories. 

Joseph's  father  had  many  interesting  stories  to  tell, 
and  some  day  you  can  read  them  for  yourselves,  as 
they  are  in  the  fore  part  of  our  Bible.  One  of  them  we 
are  to  hear  to-day.  When  Joseph  was  sold  by  his 
brothers  to  the  Egyptians,  he  was  lonely,  for  he  thought 
he  would  never  see  his  father  again.  Every  minute 
the  caravan  was  taking  him  farther  away  from  home. 
But  when  night  came,  and  the  bright,  soft  stars  twin- 
kled out,  he  remembered  this  story. 

The  Story  of  Jacob's  Dream  at  Bethel 

In  the  far-off  time,  when  Jacob  was  young  with  a 
father  to  care  for  him  and  a  comfortable  bed  to  sleep 
in  at  night,  he  ivas  sent  on  a  journey  to  visit  his  uncle. 
It  was  such  a  very  long  time  ago  that  there  were  no 
railroads  in  that  land,  and  Jacob  had  to  travel  on  foot. 
He  had  never  been  so  far  from  home  before,  and  when 
night  came  and  found  him  on  a  hill,  with  no  father  to 
say  good-night,  with  no  warm  bed  to  lie  down  upon, 
he  felt  as  if  he  were  alone  in  all  the  world,  with  nothing 
nearer  than  the  stars.  He  found  a  stone  and  put  it 
under  his  head,  and  lay  down  to  sleep;  but  as  he  looked 
up  at  the  dark  sky  his  eyes  were  full  of  tears,  and  the 
stars  sent  down  long,  blurred  rays  of  light,  like  ladders 
reaching  from  heaven  down  to  earth. 

How  long  he  slept  he  did  not  know.  It  might  have 
been  the  middle  of  the  night  when  the  dream  came  to 
him.  There  was  a  ladder  of  light  in  his  dream;  one  end 
rested  near  him  on  the  lonely  hill,  but  the  top  of  the 
ladder  reached  to  heaven,  and  there  were  angels  of  God 
going  up  and  down.     While  he  gazed,  struck  with  won- 


12  CHILDREN   OF   THE   FATHER 

der,  he  felt  that  God  himself  was  beside  him,  speaking 
to  him. 

*' Behold,  I  am  with  thee,  and  will  keep  thee  whither- 
soever thou  goest,  and  will  bring  thee  again  into  this 
land.     I  will  not  leave  thee.'^ 

Then  Jacob  awoke  out  of  his  sleep,  and  said, 

'^  Surely  the  Lord  is  in  this  place,  and  I  knew  it  not. 
This  is  none  other  but  the  house  of  God,  and  this  is  the 
gate  of  heaven.'^ 

Early  in  the  morning,  when  Jacob  rose  to  continue 
his  journey,  he  took  the  stone  he  had  used  for  a  pillow 
and  set  it  up  for  an  altar  so  that  he  might  remember 
that  place  when  he  came  again;  and  he  named  it  Bethel, 
which  means  the  house  of  God.  After  that,  he  was 
not  lonely  any  more,  since  God  had  promised  not  to 
leave  him;  and  he  came  safely  to  his  journey's  end. 

Application 

Speak  again  of  Joseph,  sleeping  under  the  stars  on 
his  way  to  Egypt.  Would  he  be  lonely  at  first?  How 
would  he  feel  when  he  remembered  the  story  of  his 
father's  dream?  Picture  Joseph  going  on  his  journey 
more  happily  because  he  believed  that  God  was  with 
him  too,  and  would  bring  him  to  his  father  again. 
This  was  a  long  time  ago.  We  know  now  that  God  is 
with  us  always.  He  does  not  need  to  tell  us  so  in 
dreams.  But  this  old  story  about  Jacob  has  made 
many  children  beside  Joseph  remember  that  God  cares 
for  us,  and  it  is  a  story  which  no  one  of  us  wants  ever 
to  forget. 

Expressional  Work 

The  hand-work  for  this  lesson  is  an  imaginative 
drawing  of  Jacob  at  Bethel.    Ask  the  children  what 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  13 

they  think  the  hill  looked  like.  Was  it  bare?  Were 
there  any  trees  on  it?  What  shape  was  the  stone? 
How  would  Jacob  look,  lying  on  the  ground,  with  the 
stone  for  a  pillow? 

Be  particularly  careful  not  to  allow  them  to  color 
the  conventional  border  until  they  have  made  their 
own  drawing. 

Home  Work 

The  Bible  story  may  well  be  read  at  home,  although 
the  promise  concerning  the  land  is  not  necessary  at 
this  time.  The  reference  is  Genesis  28:  10-22.  Read 
or  sing  with  the  children  the  hymn,  *^  Nearer  my  God 
to  Thee,"  and  tell  them  that  it  was  written  about  this 
very  story. 


LESSON  3 
JOSEPH  AS  GOVERNOR  OF  EGYPT 

The  Purpose 

This  lesson  continues  the  story  of  Joseph.  It  is 
purely  narrative,  leading  to  Lesson  4,  which  contains 
the  ethical  climax.  The  teacher^s  aim  should  be  to 
keep  the  pupiFs  interest  very  much  alive,  and  to  en- 
courage him  to  look  forward  to  the  story's  conclusion. 


The  Approach 

There  is  a  gap  between  this  story  and  the  first 
lesson  which  can  best  be  filled  by  a  description  of 
Egypt. 

Recall  Joseph  on  his  journey.     Where  was  he  going? 

Tell  the  pupils  enough  about  Egypt  to  make  them 
realize  its  greatness  from  Joseph's  point  of  view.  It 
had  finer  buildings  than  he  had  ever  seen.  The  river 
Nile  was  wide  and  deep, —  wide  as  a  lake  when  it  over- 
flowed its  banks.  The  king  was  called  Pharaoh;  he 
lived  in  a  palace  with  slaves  to  wait  on  him,  and  when 
he  went  out,  he  rode  in  a  chariot.  Perhaps  the  children 
know  something  of  Egypt  already,  and  can  help  you 
to  describe  it.  Show  pictures,  if  possible.  Almost 
any  history  of  Egypt  will  have  pictures  of  the  Nile  and 
the  Pyramids.  If  no  such  pictures  are  available, 
Wilde's  Bible  Pictures,  numbers  178,  179,  180,  181, 
and  316  will  be  sent  by  mail  from  W.  A.  Wilde  Company, 
120  Boylston  Street,  Boston,  Mass.,  at  one  cent  each. 

u 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  15 

Joseph  .as  Governor  of  Egypt 

After  Joseph  had  lived  for  several  years  in  Egypt, 
the  man  he  worked  for  became  angry  with  him  and  put 
him  into  prison.  It  was  there,  especially,  that  Joseph 
thought  of  Pharaoh,  the  great  king,  and  wondered 
if  he  should  ever  have  a  chance  to  see  him.  At  last 
the  chance  came. 

Pharaoh  had  a  dream.  In  it,  he  stood  by  the  river. 
He  saw  coming  out  of  the  river  seven  cows,  fat  and 
sleek;  and  they  fed  in  the  reed-grass.  After  them 
came  up  seven  other  cows,  thin  and  ugly  to  look  at, 
and  stood  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  And  then  the 
thin  cows  ate  up  the  fat  ones. 

Pharaoh  awoke,  only  to  fall  asleep  and  dream  a 
second  time.  He  saw  seven  ears  of  corn  on  one  stalk, 
full  and  good;  and  seven  other  ears,  thin  and  blasted 
by  the  east  wind,  sprung  up  after  them.  Then  the 
thin  ears  swallowed  up  the  full  ears. 

In  the  morning,  as  Pharaoh  thought  of  these  dreams, 
he  was  troubled,  and  he  called  for  all  the  magicians  of 
Egypt  and  all  the  wise  men  in  his  kingdom.  He  told 
them  his  dreams,  but  there  was  no  one  who  could  tell 
him  what  they  meant.  Then,  when  Pharaoh  was  dis- 
couraged, the  butler  who  stood  beside  his  chair  spoke 
suddenly: 

**  Pharaoh  was  angry  with  his  servants  and  put  us 
in  prison,  the  chief  baker  and  myself.  We  dreamed  a 
dream  in  one  night,  I  and  he.  There  was  with  us  there 
a  young  man,  a  Hebrew,  servant  to  the  captain  of  the 
guard;  and  he  told  us  the  meaning  of  our  dreams: 
and  they  came  to  pass  as  he  had  said." 

(Can  you  think  who  the  young  man  was?  Yes,  it 
was  Joseph.) 

Pharaoh  sent  for  him,  and  they  brought  him  hastily; 
and  he  put  on  fresh  clothing  and  came  before  Pharaoh. 


16  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

Then  Pharaoh  told  Joseph  of  his  dreams, —  how  he 
had  seen  seven  thin  cattle  eat  seven  fat  ones,  and  seven 
thin  ears  of  com  swallow  up  seven  full  ones. 

^^God  will  give  Pharaoh  an  answer  of  peace, '^  said 
Joseph.  '^The  dreams  are  alike.  The  seven  good 
cattle  and  the  seven  good  ears  are  seven  years;  they  are 
years  of  plenty:  and  the  seven  lean  cattle  and  the 
seven  empty  ears,  blasted  by  the  east  wind,  are  years 
of  famine.  There  will  come  seven  years  of  great  plenty 
throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt;  and  after  them  will 
come  seven  years  of  famine  which  will  consume  the 
land  so  that  the  years  of  plenty  shall  be  forgotten. 
Now,  therefore,  let  Pharaoh  find  a  man  who  is  wise, 
and  set  him  over  the  land  of  Egypt.  Let  him  appoint 
overseers  who  shall  gather  all  the  food  of  these  good 
years  which  are  coming  and  lay  up  corn  in  the  cities. 
They  shall  store  it  away  to  be  used  during  the  years  of 
famine." 

Then  said  Pharaoh, 

*^  Since  God  has  showed  thee  all  this,  there  is  none 
so  wise  as  thou.  I  will  set  thee  over  all  the  land  of 
Egypt." 

And  Pharaoh  took  off  his  signet  ring  and  put  it  upon 
Joseph's  hand,  and  threw  a  gold  chain  about  his  neck; 
and  Joseph  rode  in  a  chariot  and  was  governor  of  the 
land  of  Egypt. 

In  the  seven  years  which  followed,  so  much  corn 
ripened  that  Joseph  could  no  more  have  measured  it 
than  he  could  count  the  grains  of  sand  on  the  seashore. 
Each  year  he  had  whatever  was  not  eaten  laid  away 
until  all  the  cities  of  Egypt  had  great  storehouses  filled 
with  corn. 

Then  the  seven  years  of  famine  began  to  come,  and 
in  all  lands  there  were  no  harvests.  Only  Egypt  had 
bread,  because  of  the  corn  which  Joseph  had  stored 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  17 

away.  So  the  people  of  all  countries  came  to  Egypt 
to  buy  corn. 

In  the  land  of  Canaan,  Jacob  and  his  sons  were  very 
hungry;  but  Jacob  heard  that  there  was  corn  in  Egypt, 
and  sent  his  sons  to  buy  food.  Only  Benjamin  did  not 
go.  Jacob  was  afraid  he  might  lose  him  as  he  had 
once  lost  Joseph. 

The  ten  older  brothers  went  down  into  Egypt.  It 
was  Joseph  who  sold  the  corn,  since  he  was  governor  of 
the  land;  and  his  brothers  came  before  him.  But  he 
had  changed  very  much  since  the  day  when  they  sold 
him  to  the  merchants  of  the  caravan,  and  they  did  not 
know  him. 

Joseph  knew  them,  however;  and  he  changed  his 
voice  and  spoke  harshly  to  them,  for  he  did  not  wish 
them  to  laiow  who  he  was,  just  yet. 

'^ Whence  come  ye?'' 

^'From  the  land  of  Canaan  to  buy  food." 

'^Ye  are  spies;  to  see  the  bareness  of  the  land  ye 
are  come.'' 

**Nay,  my  lord,  thy  servants  are  no  spies.  We  are 
all  one  man's  sons;  the  youngest  is  this  day  with  our 
father,  and  one  is  not." 

So  Joseph  found  out  what  he  had  wanted  many  years 
to  know,  that  his  father  was  alive  and  Benjamin,  the 
little  brother  with  whom  he  had  played  under  the  oak 
trees  at  home.     If  only  they  had  brought  Benjamin! 

*^If  ye  are  telling  the  truth,"  said  Joseph,  ^^go  home 
and  bring  back  your  youngest  brother.  And  one  of  you 
shall  stay  here  as  my  servant  until  ye  come  back." 

He  took  Simeon  and  had  him  bound  before  their 
eyes.  Then  he  sent  them  away  with  their  sacks  full 
of  corn.  They  had  brought  money  and  they  paid  in 
full,  but  Joseph  gave  orders  secretly  that  each  man's 
money  should  be  put  in  his  sack  with  the  corn. 


18  CHILDREN    OF   THE    FATHER 

When  the  brothers  found  the  money,  they  could  not 
understand  what  it  meant.  They  were  even  a  Httle 
frightened.  Why  should  a  man  who  spoke  harshly  to 
them  and  accused  them  of  being  spies  refuse  to  take 
their  money?  When  they  told  Jacob,  he  was  more 
frightened  yet,  and  would  not  let  them  go  back  with 
Benjamin. 

'^Benjamin  shall  not  go  down  with  you,"  said  Jacob, 
*^ Joseph  is  dead  and  now  I  have  lost  Simeon.  If 
mischief  should  befall  Benjamin  on  the  way,  then  shall 
ye  bring  down  my  gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  the  grave." 

So  the  brothers  shook  their  heads  and  made  the  best 
of  it;  but  down  in  Egypt,  Joseph  was  waiting 

Expressional  Work 

Dramatization:  This  part  of  the  story  of  Joseph  can 
be  most  effectively  dramatized.  The  following  ar- 
rangement of  scenes  is  suggested. 

I.      Pharaoh    tells    his    dreams.     Joseph    interprets 

them,  and  is  made  governor  of  Egypt. 
II.     Jacob  sends  his  ten  sons  to  Egypt  to  buy  corn. 

III.  The  brothers  appear  before  Joseph,  who  accuses 

them  of  being  spies,  and  retains  Simeon  as  a 
hostage  until  they  bring  Benjamin. 

IV.  Jacob  hears  the  story  from  his  sons  and  refuses 

to  let  Benjamin  go. 

The  first  scene  requires  only  four  pupils, — ^Pharaoh, 
Joseph,  the  chief  butler,  and  an  audience — although 
the  audience  may  be  impersonated  by  one  or  many, 
according  to  the  size  of  the  class.  If  the  class  is  not 
large  enough  for  all  the  sons  of  Jacob  to  be  represented, 
all  except  the  ^'speaking  parts"  may  be  understood 
to  be  present;  but  let  it  be  fully  understood  how  many 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  19 

are  imaginary,  in  order  not  to  create  a  wrong  impres- 
sion. Encourage  the  children  to  name  the  principal 
characters  in  each  scene,  and  to  assign  parts. 

*  Hand  Work 

If  dramatization  is  not  practicable,  an  outline  draw- 
ing of  Egypt  may  be  colored. 

Home  Work 

The  story  of  Joseph,  as  told  in  these  lessons,  is  found 
in  Genesis  41:  1-45,  46-50,  53-57;  42;  43;  44;  45;  46: 
28-34;  47:  1-12. 


LESSON  4 
JOSEPH  AND  HIS  BROTHERS 

The  Purpose 

This  lesson  teaches  that  it  is  more  important  to  help 
people  than  to  hurt  them  just  because  they  have  hurt 
you.  The  point  must  be  brought  out  after  the  story. 
Joseph's  motive  is  not  at  first  altruistic.  He  plots 
cunningly  to  keep  his  favorite  brother  with  him,  not 
caring  for  the  rest.  It  is  Judah's  appeal  in  behalf  of 
his  father  which  brings  home  the  truth  to  Joseph;  so 
when  you  tell  the  story,  be  sure  to  emphasize  this 
passage  and  Joseph's  reply,  especially  the  words, 
''God  sent  me  before  you  to  save  life.'' 

The  Approach 

Review  the  story  of  Joseph,  having  as  many  pupils 
help  as  possible. 

Joseph  and  his  Brothers 

The  days  went  by  and  the  weeks  and  the  months, 
and  the  corn  which  Jacob's  sons  had  bought  was  gone. 

'*Go  again  to  Egypt,"  said  Jacob,  ''buy  us  a  little 
food." 

But  Judah  said, 

"The  man  did  say  to  us,  'Ye  shall  not  see  my  face, 
unless  your  brother  be  with  you.'  If  thou  wilt  send 
our  brother  with  us,  we  will  go  down  and  buy  thee  food; 
but  if  thou  wilt  not  send  him,  it  is  of  no  use." 

Then  Jacob  said, 

20 


CHILDREN   OF  GOD  21 

''If  it  must  be,  do  this;  carry  down  to  this  man  a 
present,  a  Uttle  balm  and  a  Httle  honey,  spices  and 
myrrh,  nuts  and  almonds;  and  take  double  money  in 
your  hand  to  pay  for  the  corn  you  bought  before. 
Perhaps  it  was  an  oversight  that  they  did  not  take  it: 
take  also  your  brother,  and  may  God  Almighty  give 
you  mercy,  that  the  man  may  set  free  your  other  brother 
and  leave  you  Benjamin." 

Once  more  the  brothers  came  before  the  governor  of 
Egypt.  Joseph  saw  Benjamin,  and  could  hardly  keep 
from  making  himself  known,  but  he  waited.  Perhaps 
he  thought  they  still  hated  him,  although  he  had  long 
since  forgiven  them.  He  had  them  brought  to  his 
house.  He  gave  Simeon  back  to  them  and  they  had 
dinner  with  him.  Then  he  called  his  servant  and 
commanded  him  secretly, 

'Till  the  men's  sacks  with  food,  as  much  as  they  can 
carry,  and  put  every  man's  money  in  his  sack.  And 
put  my  cup,  the  silver  cup,  in  the  sack  of  the  youngest 
with  his  corn  money." 

In  the  morning,  as  soon  as  it  was  light,  the  brothers 
started  for  home;  but  before  they  had  gone  very  far, 
they  were  overtaken  by  Joseph's  servant,  who  asked 
them  why  they  had  taken  his  master's  cup. 

The  brothers  were  astonished. 

"God  forbid,"  they  said,  "that  thy  servants  should 
do  such  a  thing!  If  the  cup  be  found  on  any  one  of  us, 
let  him  die,  and  the  rest  of  us  will  be  our  lord's  servants." 

"Let  it  be  like  this,"  said  the  man.  "He  who  has  the 
cup  shall  be  the  servant,  and  the  rest  of  you  shall  go 
free." 

Then  every  man  opened  his  sack;  and  the  servant 
searched,  beginning  with  the  eldest  and  ending  with 
the  youngest;  and  the  cup  was  found  in  Benjamin's 
sack. 


22  CHILDREN  OF  THE   FATHER 

They  tied  up  their  sacks,  and  went  back  to  the  city 
to  Joseph's  house.  He  was  still  there,  and  they  bowed 
before  him. 

"What  is  this  ye  have  done?"  he  said. 

Then  Judah,  who  had  been  most  eager  to  sell  Joseph 
to  the  Egyptians,  began  to  speak.  He  told  the  governor 
how  hard  it  had  been  for  Jacob  to  part  with  Benjamin, 
even  for  a  little  time,  because  of  his  great  love  for  him 
and  the  loss  of  Joseph.     He  added, 

"If  I  return  to  my  father,  and  Benjamin  be  not  with 
us,  he  will  die;  and  we  shall  bring  down  the  gray  hairs 
of  our  father  to  the  grave.  Now  let  me,  I  pray  thee, 
remain  instead  of  the  lad  a  servant  to  my  lord;  and  let 
the  lad  go  back  with  his  brothers.  For  how  shall  I 
return  to  my  father  without  him,  and  so  bring  evil 
upon  my  father?" 

When  Joseph  saw  how  Judah  had  changed,  to  be 
willing  to  give  himself  for  Benjamin,  he  sent  everyone 
from  the  room  except  his  brothers  and  then  he  burst 
into  such  weeping  that  it  was  heard  throughout  the 
house.    When  he  could  speak,  he  cried, 

"I  am  Joseph." 

But  they  did  not  understand,  so  he  called  them 
nearer  and  said  again, 

"I  am  Joseph,  your  brother,  whom  ye  sold  into 
Egypt.  Be  not  angry  with  yourselves  because  of  it, 
for  God  sent  me  before  you  to  save  life.  I  told  Pharaoh 
the  meaning  of  his  dream,  and  Pharaoh  has  made  me 
governor  of  the  land.  Hasten  and  go  to  my  father, 
and  tell  him,  and  bring  him  back  to  me.  Ye  shall  all 
live  near  me,  and  I  will  take  care  of  you  in  the  five 
years  of  famine  which  remain." 

Meanwhile,  news  of  this  went  to  Pharaoh's  house, 
and  he  also  urged  the  brothers  to  live  in  Egypt.  He 
gave  them  wagons  for  the  women  and  children  of  their 


CHILDREN  OF  GOD  23 

families,  and  Joseph  added  food  and  clothing  and 
presents  for  his  father  of  all  the  good  things  he  could 
think  of. 

So  the  brothers  went  back  and  brought  Jacob  into 
Egypt.  Joseph  came  out  to  meet  him  in  his  chariot, 
and  he  fell  on  his  father's  neck  and  wept  there  a  good 
while.  And  I  think  he  remembered  the  last  time  he 
had  seen  Jacob,  when  his  father  called  him  and  he  said, 

"Here  am  I." 

Joseph  was  still  ready  to  do  the  best  that  he  could 
for  his  father  and  brothers.  He  gave  them  a  home 
near  his  own,  and  saw  that  they  never  wanted  food 
again. 

Application 

Talk  with  the  class  about  the  story.  Which  of  his 
brothers  would  Joseph  think  about  most?  Why 
didn't  he  let  his  brothers  know  who  he  was  when  they 
first  came  to  Egypt?  Why  did  he  return  their  money? 
Why  did  he  have  his  silver  cup  put  in  Benjamin's  sack? 
Who  offered  to  stay  in  Benjamin's  place?  What  did 
Joseph  do  then?  Encourage  the  class  to  bring  out 
these  points  with  as  Httle  help  from  you  as  possible; 
but  remember  to  lead  the  talk  to  Joseph's  discovery  that 
his  brothers  were  not  bad  men  any  longer — it  is  quite 
possible  for  bad  people  to  become  good — and  his 
happiness  at  seeing  his  father  again  and  being  able  to 
save  all  their  lives. 

Expressional  Work 

Dramatization:  The  following  scenes  are  suggested. 

I.  Jacob  consents  to  let  Benjamin  go  to  Egypt,  and 

sends  a  present  to  the  governor. 

II.  Joseph  entertains  his  brothers  in  his  own  house. 


24  CHILDREN    OF   THE   FATHER 

III.  Joseph  instructs  his  servant  concerning  the  silver 

cup. 

IV,  The  cup  is  found  in  Benjamin's  sack. 

V.      Judah  offers  himself  in  Benjamin's  place. 
VI.     Joseph  meets  his  father  Jacob. 

"The  story  of  Joseph  and  his  Brethren"  has  been 
arranged  in  a  series  of  tableaux  by  Miss  Mary  Lawrance, 
with  suggestions  for  costumes  and  descriptive  music. 
It  is  admirable  for  schools  desiring  to  give  an  afternoon 
or  evening  to  this  subject.  Further  information  con- 
cerning it  can  be  obtained  from  the  Department  of 
Religious  Education,  25  Beacon  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 

Hand  Work 

A  sheet  with  a  reading  lesson  is  furnished  for  the 
pupil's  note-book.  The  ornament  is  a  conventional- 
ized lotus.  The  lotus,  to  the  Egyptian,  was  a  symbol 
of  the  resurrection,  or  eternal  Hfe;  so  it  makes  a  fitting 
design  for  the  story  of  Joseph's  mission  to  Egypt, 
which  was  to  save  hfe. 


LESSON  5 

THE  LITTLE  MAID  OF  NAAMAN  THE  SYRIAN 

The  Purpose 

This  story  was  originally  told  to  glorify  the  prophet 
Elisha.  As  it  is  written  in  the  Second  Book  of  Kings, 
the  little  captive  maid  is  merely  a  fortunate  accident. 
She  happened  to  be  serving  in  Naaman's  household, 
and  could  direct  him  to  the  one  person  who  could  cure 
his  leprosy.  For  our  purpose,  however,  the  little  maid 
was  not  an  accident  but  an  instrument.  Without  her, 
Naaman  might  never  have  known  of  Elisha.  She  had 
the  power,  as  a  servant,  to  withhold  information.  If 
she  had  been  stupid,  or  sulky  in  her  servitude,  she  would 
not  have  told,  and  no  one  would  have  been  the  wiser. 
Her  action  makes  her  an  illustration  of  the  :  emory 
verse  for  this  lesson.  ^'As  we  have  opportunity,  let 
us  work  that  which  is  good  toward  all  men."  It  is 
most  important  that  we  present  to  the  children  the 
necessity  of  being  alert  for  service.  Such  is  the  purpose 
of  this  story  of  the  little  maid  of  Naaman  the  Syrian, 

The  Approach 

Talk  with  the  children  about  surprises,  especially 
pleasant  surprises.  The  Christmas  or  birthday  present 
which  they  give  to  someone  else  is  a  possible  starting 
point.  Then  ask  them  if  they  ever  siu-prised  anyone — 
mother  or  father  or  teacher — ^by  doing  something  to 
help  which  wasn't  expected  :^not  the  everyday  thing, 
which  they  always  or  often  do,but  something  particularly 

25 


26  CHILDREN   OF  THE   FATHER 

nice^and  unusual.    After  this,  the  class  ought  to  be  in 
a  frame  of  mind  to  appreciate  the  lesson  story. 

The  Little  Maid  of  Naaman  the  Syrian 

In  the  days  when  Israel  was  governed  by  kings — 
and  this  was  a  long  time  after  Joseph  had  lived  in 
Egypt  and  yet  many  years  before  Jesus  was  bom — 
a  httle  girl  was  taken  from  her  home  to  Uve  in  Syria, 
a  country  north  of  Israel  and  not  always  friendly. 
Syrian  armies  sometimes  came  down  and  took  what 
they  could  get — crops,  cattle,  even  people. 

The  little  girl  was  taken  in  this  way,  and  made  a 
servant  in  the  family  of  Naaman,  captain  of  the  Syrian 
army.  She  was  lonely  and  homesick  at  first;  but 
Naaman's  wife  was  kind,  and  she  soon  was  happy  in 
doing  all  she  could  for  her.  She  did  everything  she 
was  told  to  do  just  as  well  as  she  knew  how,  and  soon 
Naaman' s^wife  loved  her,  too,  and  the  httle  maid  forgot 
to  be  homesick. 

Naaman  she  never  saw.  She  heard  much  about  him, 
of  his  courage  and  skill  as  a  general.  He,  too,  she 
thought,  must  be  kind,  for  people  loved  him  and  talked 
about  him  much  as  the  Israelites  at  home  talked  of 
their  heroes.  But  he  had  a  disease  called  leprosy. 
No  one  could  touch  him  without  danger  of  taking  it, 
and  it  was  said  to  be  incurable.  So  Naaman  had  to 
live  by  himself,  and  his  servants  could  talk  with  him 
only  at  a  distance.  His  wife  could  hardly  bear  to 
speak  of  it. 

The  httle  maid  thought  a  good  deal  about  it.  If  she 
could  only  find  some  way  to  help,  what  a  surprise  it 
would  be!  It  was  the  first  thing  in  her  mind  when  she 
woke  up,'' and  the  last  when  she  went  to  sleep.  She 
thought  of  it  during  the  day,  when  she  was  doing  the 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  27 

little  tasks  for  her  mistress.  Then,  all  at  once,  she 
remembered   Elisha! 

Elisha  was  a  prophet  in  Israel.  There  were  wonder- 
ful stories  about  him,  which  the  little  maid  had  heard 
before  the  Syrians  took  her  away.  It  was  even  said 
that  he  had  brought  to  life  a  child  supposed  to  be  dead. 
If  he  could  do  this,  surely  he  could  cure  Naaman.  She 
went  to  her  mistress  and  said, 

''I  wish  my  lord  were  with  the  prophet  that  is  in 
Samaria!  then  he  would  recover  him  of  his  leprosy.'' 

Naaman's  wife  was  interested  and  promised  to  speak 
to  the  king  of  Syria  about  it. 

The  king  was  interested,  too.  He  urged  Naaman  to 
go,  and  wrote  a  letter  introducing  him  to  the  king  of 
Israel. 

Naaman  took  the  letter,  and  also  a  present  for  the 
king  of  Israel.  There  were  ten  talents  of  silver,  six 
thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and  ten  beautiful  garments. 
Usually,  you  see,  when  Naaman  went  into  Israel, 
it  was  at  the  head  of  an  army  which  took  things  away, 
including  httle  maids;  and  Naaman  was  anxious  to  let 
the  king  of  Israel  know  that  this  time  he  meant  no 
mischief. 

But  when  the  king  saw  the  letter,  he  was  frightened. 
For  this  is  what  it  said: 

"When  this  letter  is  come  unto  thee,  behold,  I  have 
sent  Naaman  my  servant  to  thee,  that  thou  mayest 
recover  him  of  his  leprosy." 

Now,  whoever  could  cure  leprosy,  it  was  not  the  king 
oflsradi!  He  was  frightened  indeed.  Why?  Because 
he  thought  that  when  he  said  that  he  could  not  cure 
Naaman,  the  king  of  Syria  would  be  angry  and  make 
war  upon  him.  He  even  thought  that  the  Syrian  king 
was  doing  this  on  purpose,  to  have  an  excuse  for  making 
war  upon  him. 


28  CHILDEEN   OF   THE   FATHER 

Where  was  Elisha  all  this  tune?  Not  far  away.  He 
heard  of  the  letter  and  the  fear  of  the  king  of  Israel, 
and  he  sent  to  the  king,  saying, 

"Why  art  thou  frightened?  Let  him  come  to  me, 
and  he  shall  know  that  there  is  a  prophet  in  Israel." 

So  it  seemed  as  if  everything  were  happening  just  as 
the  little  maid  had  hoped. 

Naaman  came  with  his  horses  and  his  chariots,  and 
stood  at  the  door  of  the  house  of  Elisha.  When 
Elisha  heard  that  he  had  come,  he  sent  a  messenger  to 
him,  saying, 

"Go  and  wash  in  Jordan  seven  times,  and  thou  shalt 
be  clean.'' 

This  made  Naaman  angry. 

"I  thought,"  he  said,  ''he  will  surely  come  out  to 
me,  and  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  his  God,  and  wave 
his  hand  over  the  place,  and  cure  the  leprosy.  Are 
not  the  rivers  of  Damascus  better  than  all  the  waters 
of  Israel?    May  I  not  wash  in  them  and  be  clean?" 

And  he  went  away  in  a  rage;  and  it  seemed  as  if  the 
little  maid  had  told  of  Elisha  for  nothing. 

Then  the  servants  of  Naaman  came  near,  and  said, 

"My  father,  if  the  prophet  had  bid  thee  do  some  great 
thing,  wouldest  thou  not  have  done  it?  How  much 
rather,  then,  when  he  saith  to  thee,  wash  and  be  clean?" 

Then  Naaman  went  down  and  dipped  himself  seven 
times  in  Jordan,  as  the  man  of  God  had  said ;  and  when 
he  came  out,  his  flesh  was  like  the  flesh  of  a  little  child, 
and  he  was  clean. 

Naaman  went  home  cured  of  his  terrible  disease. 
His  servants  no  longer  had  to  stand  at  a  distance  when 
they  spoke  to  him ;  and  he  and  his  family  were  together 
once  more.  Nor  did  they  ever  forget  the  little  maid, 
whose  thoughtfulness  had  brought  all  this  happiness 
to  pass. 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  29 

Application 

Encourage  the  children  to  talk  about  the  story,  and 
to  imagine  what  would  have  happened  under  different 
conditions.  Suppose  the  little  maid  had  been  angry 
because  she  was  a  servant,  and  refused  to  do  her  work ; 
or  that  she  did  what  was  necessary  and  no  more.  Do 
not  let  the  class  imagine  that  Naaman  and  his  wife  were 
bad  because  they  were  enemies  of  Israel.  They  had 
better  be  represented  as  lovable  people  who  were  glad 
to  do  all  they  could  for  the  child  as  soon  as  she  responded 
to  their  kindness. 

Expressional  Work 

The  memory  verse  is  to  be  colored  for  the  pupils' 
note-book,  either  in  class  or  at  home. 

Memory  Verse 

As  we  have  opportunity,  let  us  work  that  which  is  good 
toward  all  men. 

Galatians  6:10. 

Home  Work 

The  story  is  found  in  II  Kings  5:  1-15,  and  can  be 
read  without  omissions.  It  might  also  be  profitable  for 
the  children  to  see  how  many  pleasant  surprises  they 
can  bring  about  during  the  week,  and  report  to  the 
teacher  at  the  following  lesson. 


LESSON  6 

THE  LEGEND  OF  JUBAL 

The  Purpose 

"He  was  the  father  of  all  such  as  handle  the  harp 
and  pipe.'' 

This  sentence,  found  in  Genesis  4:  21 /is  all  the  Bible 
tells  us  of  Jubal,  if  we  except  a  few  words  of  information 
concerning  his  genealogy.  The  story  used  in  this 
lesson  is  adapted  from  George  Eliot's  poem,  "The 
Legend  of  Jubal";  but  the  purpose  is  unlike  hers. 
The  climax  in  which  Jubal  rushes  before  the  procession, 
proclaiming  his  identity,  and  is  ignominiously  beaten 
off,  is  omitted;  it  would  be  a  sad  ending  from  the  point 
of  view  of  the  eight-year-old  child.  Instead,  Jubal  is 
soothed  in  his  lonehness  by  the  thought  of  his  gift  to 
humanity.  The  purpose  of  the  lesson  is  to  represent 
him  as  an  inspiration,  one  who  finds  his  greatest  joy 
in  giving  to  others. 

The  Approach 

An  appropriate  opening  for  this  story  would  be  a 
little  talk — very  little — about  sharing  one's  happiness. 
Ask  the  children  if  they  know  anyone,  boy  or  girl, 
who  cannot  be  quite  happy  without  wishing  everybody 
else  to  be  happy  too.  A  word  or  two  about  the  nega- 
tive side  will  help, — the  children  who  shut  themselves 
away  from  their  comrades,  and  don't  wish  anybody 
to  share  their  joys.  The  joy  would  of  course  be  some- 
thing tangible  at  this  age,  but  the  idea  is  the  same. 

30 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  31 

A  suggestion  from  one  teacher  is  Stevenson's  "Looking 
Forward"  from  A  Child's  Garden  of  Verses, 

When  I  am  grown  to  man's  estate 
I  shall  be  very  proud  and  great, 
And  tell  the  other  girls  and  boys 
Not  to  meddle  with  my  toys. 

Tell  the  class  that  you  have  a  story  about  a  man  who' 
shared  his  happiness. 

The  Legend  of  Jubal 

Jubal  watched  the  rise  and  fall  of  Tubal-Cain's 
hammer.  Tubal-Cain  was  strong,  and  although  the 
hammer  was  heavy,  it  struck  the  anvil  as  regularly  as 
your  pulse  throbs,  only  more  slowly.  Up— down,  up — 
down,  it  went;  and  every  stroke  on  the  anvil  made  a 
ringing  sound. 

Jubal  went  into  the  woods.  It  was  early  morning, 
and  the  birds  were  singing, — chirping,  whistling, 
trilling.  He  sat  down  under  a  tree  and  hstened.  In 
the  village  he  heard  the  regular  beat  of  the  hammer, 
marking  time. 

This  was  such  a  long  time  ago  that  no  one  had  heard 
of  music.  Never  a  song  had  been  written  or  a  musical 
instrument  invented.  The  children  sang  as  the  birds 
did,  without  thinking  what  it  was,  and  mothers  crooned 
lullabies  over  their  babies,  not  knowing  what  songs 
were.  Only  to  Jubal,  hearing  the  birds  and  the  chil- 
dren and  the  mothers,  and  feeling  the  regular  beat  of' 
the  hammer,  came  the  thought  of  that  wonderful  thing 
which  we  call  music. 

Jubal  one  day  made  a  lyre,  which  is  something  like 
a  tiny  harp,  one  small  enough  to  carry  in  your  hand. 
The  strings,  as  he  touched  them,  made  a  thrilling  sound, 
sweeter  than  any  he  Uad  ever  heard.     He  took  the  lyre 


32  CHILDKEN   OF  THE   FATHER 

to  the  hills,  where  only  the  wind  was,  and  that  was 
quiet.  In  the  silence  a  melody  came  to  him,  and  he 
sang  it  over  and  over,  playing  chords  on  his  lyre.  As 
he  played,  he  grew  almost  wild  with  joy.  He  sang 
louder  and  struck  heavier  chords;  and  then,  all  at  once, 
his  heart  felt  like  a  heavy  weight,  since  there  was  no 
one  there  to  hear  his  music  and  enjoy  it  with  him. 

He  hurried  back,  over  the  hills,  through  the  woods. 
These  too  were  silent,  for  it  was  sunset,  and  the  birds 
had  gone  to  sleep.  But  all  the  people  of  the  village 
were  out  of  doors.  Jubal  stood  among  the  trees  and 
watched  them.  Children  played  about  their  fathers 
and  mothers,  young  men  and  maidens  walked  up  and 
down.  They  talked,  they  laughed,  they  were  happy; 
but  Jubal  knew  how  to  make  them  happier. 

Taking  up  his  lyre,  he  went  toward  them,  singing  the 
song  of  the  lonely  hills. 

The  games  stopped,  the  laughter  was  hushed;  the 
people  listened  first  in  surprise,  then  with  delight. 
Jubal  saw  it  and  played  more  gaily.  They  began  to 
dance  as  they  had  never  danced  before ;  but  there  was 
something  in  the  music  which  taught  them. 

When  the  dance  was  over,  they  ran  to  him  to  learn 
what  was  this  strange  thing  which  Jubal  struck  with 
his  fingers.  They  took  it  from  him  and  played  with 
it.  Some  of  the  sounds  were  sweet  and  others  were 
discords,  until  he  taught  them  how  to  play.  A  few 
sung  the  melody  after  him,  and  presently  all  were 
singing.  They  crowded  around  him  until  the  stars  came 
out,  and  even  these  seemed  to  twinkle  more  merrily 
than  usual. 

Day  after  day,  Jubal  went  about  among  his  people 
until  mothers  had  heard  their  lullabies  played  again 
and  again  on  the  lyre,  and  the  children  had  a  new 
song  for  each  game.     Every  night  he  played  for  the 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  33 

dance.  More  lyres  were  made,  and  others  played  and 
sang  with  him.  So  Jubal  was  called  ''the  father  of  all 
such  as  handle  the  harp  and  the  pipe." 

At  first  Jubal  felt  that  he  could  go  on  for  a  hundred 
years,  making  up  new  songs  and  teaching  them  to  his 
people.  Many,  many  years  did  go  on  in  this  way; 
but  there  came  a  day  when  there  seemed  no  new  songs 
left  anywhere  within  hearing  of  the  village, — in  fields 
or  on  the  lonely  hills  or  in  the  woods  where  the  birds 
were  still  singing  in  their  own  way.  But  there  was 
a  world  beyond  the  village.  If  he  could  go  into  it, 
Jubal  thought,  he  might  find  the  greatest  song  of  all. 
It  was  a  long,  long  journey  that  he  took,  searching  for 
this  greatest  song.  He  made  a  raft  and  ghded  south- 
ward with  the  rivers,  until  he  saw  before  him  snow- 
capped mountains  gleaming  in  the  sunlight.  There  a 
new  song  came  to  him,  but  it  was  not  the  greatest. 
He  wandered  among  strange  villages  and  cities,  teach- 
ing his  songs  to  the  people;  but  he  never  stayed  long, 
sorry  as  they  were  to  have  him  go.  He  came  at  last 
to  the  open  sea,  and  sitting  down  on  the  beach,  watched 
the  waves,  breaking  as  regularly  as  Tubal-Cain's 
hammer  fell  on  the  anvil,  and  booming  with  a  sound 
unlike  any  that  Jubal  had  ever  heard.  And  still  he 
knew  that  the  greatest  of  songs  was  not  here. 

At  last  he  came  again  to  his  old  home.  But  how  it 
had  changed!  The  village  had  become  a  city.  Indeed 
he  had  been  gone  a  long  time.  He  met  no  one  whom 
he  knew,  no  one  who  knew  him.  Tired  out  with 
looking  for  a  friendly  face,  he  lay  down  to  rest  on  a 
bank  by  the  roadside. 

He  heard  music.  Looking  up,  he  saw  a  procession 
coming  from  the  city-gates.  Men  and  women,  youths 
and  maidens,  little  children,  were  singing;  and  as  they 
came,  they  chanted  a  name:    "Jubal!    Jubal!" 


34  CHILDREN   OF   THE   FATHER 

He  started  up,  but  they  passed  by,  not  knowing  that 
the  old  man  by  the  roadside  was  Jubal.  He  lay  back 
on  the  withered  grass,  listening.  Then  it  was  that  he 
saw  a  vision  of  men  and  their  children  and  their  chil- 
dren's children,  going  down  a  beautiful  pathway  be- 
tween banks  of  fresh  grass,  singing  new  songs  to  new 
instruments  of  music;  and  they  were  all  his  friends, 
since  it  was  he  who  had  taught  them  how  to  find  music. 
Now  they  were  singing  a  song  about  his  gift  to  his 
fellow-men,  and  how  they  might  themselves  keep  on 
giving.  When  Jubal  heard  it,  he  knew  that  at  last, 
he  was  listening  to  the  greatest  song  of  all.  Thus 
listening,  he  fell  asleep. 

Expressional  Work 

This  story  is  full  of  suggestions  for  imaginative 
drawing,  and  a  blank  leaf  is  provided  for  the  purpose. 
Once  again,  the  teacher  is  cautioned  not  to  allow  the 
pupil  to  waste  time  coloring  the  conventional  border, — 
at  least,  not  until  the  drawing  is  finished.  There  are 
so  many  pictures  which  might  be  drawn — Jubal  watch- 
ing Tubal-Cain,  Jubal  alone  on  the  hills,  the  villagers 
dancing,  the  procession  from  the  city — that  it  is  better 
not  to  prompt  the  imaginations  of  the  children  by 
questions  until  they  have  started  their  work.  Then, 
when  each  has  decided  what  he  will  draw,  individual 
questions  may  be  asked  if  necessary. 

Home  Work 

For  supplementary  reading,  Psalm  150  is  suggested. 
Notice  that  the  memory  verse  for  Lesson  8  is  taken  from 
this  Psalm. 

Encourage  the  children  to  find  others  who  have  given 
great  gifts  to  men. 


LESSON  7 
SERVING  THE  LORD  WITH  GLADNESS 

The  Purpose 

This  story  is  intended  to  picture  happy  childhood 
responding  in  song  to  the  love  of  God.  It  is  not  an 
ethical  lesson, — simply  a  strengthening  of  the  tie  be- 
tween the  Father  and  his  children. 

The  Approach 

Read  to  the  children  Psalm  100.  If  they  have 
Bibles  of  their  own,  and  can  read  it  with  you,  so  much 
the  better. 

Ask  them  how  it  makes  them  feel.  What  does  it 
mean  to  "come  before  his  presence  with  singing ''? 
Bring  out  the  point  that  children  praise  God  not  only 
in  church  or  Sunday  school,  but  when  they  sing  happily 
about  their  work  or  play.  The  story  to-day  is  about  a 
girl  who  praised  God  when  she  was  playing. 

The  Song  of  Pippa 

Pippa  sprang  out  of  bed  to  see  the  sun  rise.  An  hour 
she  had  been  lying  there,  waiting  for  it.  The  solid 
gray  cloud  in  the  east  had  made  her  wonder  if  the  sun 
would  rise  at  all.  She  was  more  than  ever  anxious  that 
morning  to  see  the  sun.  It  was  her  one  holiday.  All 
the  rest  of  the  year,  she  worked  in  the  silk-mills;  for  she 
was  poor.  She  had  no  father  or  mother  to  take  care 
of  her.  Think  how  you  would  feel  if  you  had  only  one 
day  a  year  in  which  to  play.     Then  you  will  under- 

35 


36  CHILDREN    OF   THE    FATHER 

stand  how  Pippa  felt,  when  she  was  afraid  it  might 
rain. 

Now  Pippa  saw  a  gap  in  the  solid  gray  cloud.  A 
little  wave  of  gold,  pure  gold,  boiled  over  its  edge, — 
then  another  and  another.  They  grew  red.  The 
round  sun  came  up  over  the  cloud,  and  its  waves  of 
light  flowed  over  the  hills  beyond  and  crept  up  to  the 
flat  roofs  of  the  near-by  houses. 

Pippa  watched  it,  her  hands  clasped  tightly  to- 
gether. It  had  come  at  last,  her  Day!  But  she  would 
no  twaste  a  minute.  She  ran  to  her  wash-stand, 
seized  the  pitcher,  and  poured  the  splashing  water  into 
the  basin. 

''I  have  caught  a  sunbeam,"  she  laughed.  "Yes — 
no;  where  has  it  gone?" 

To  the  ceil  ng  first;  then  she  caught  sight  of  it  on  the 
crimson  Hly  blossoming  in  the  window. 

It  was  the  only  pretty  thing — except  Pippa — in  the 
big,  bare  room;  but  Pippa  could  pretend  as  well  as  any 
child  in  the  world.  Now  she  was  a  queen,  and  the 
flower  worshipped  her.  Certainly  she  loved  it, — why 
shouldn't  it  love  her?  Then  she  began  to  plan  what 
she  would  do  with  her  day.  She  decided  to  play  a  new 
game,  the  best  she  had  ever  thought  of.  She  knew  who 
were  the  happiest  people  in  her  little  town.  She  would 
pretend  to  be  these  people,  one  after  another.  She 
would  call  herself  by  their  names,  and  play  that  she 
was  living  as  they  lived.  And  to  make  it  more  real, 
she  would  go  to  their  gardens,  or  to  the  street  where 
they  lived,  or  to  a  ruined  tower  where  they  liked  to 
walk,  and  perhaps  see  or  hear  them. 

First  she  would  visit  the  garden  of  Ottima,  the  proud 
lady  who  lived  in  the  great  stone  house  on  the  hillside. 
Pippa  thought  that  the  silk  she  wound  at  the  mill  was 
probably  used  for  the  border  of  Ottima's  cloak.     She 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  37 

knew  too,  that  Ottima  had  a  lover  who  sat  with  her 
in  the  glass  summer-house  in  the  garden.  Pippa  had 
no  lover,  but  she  could  imagine  how  pleasant  it  would 
be. 

She  climbed  the  hill,  and  entering  the  garden,  made 
her  way  to  the  summer-house,  and  sat  down  on  the 
door-step.  They  were  inside;  she  heard  the  murmur  of 
their  voices.  Pippa  was  glad.  She  did  not  try  to 
listen  to  what  they  were  saying — that  would  not  have 
been  fair,  and  it  would  have  spoiled  her  game  of  pre- 
tense. For  now  she  was  Ottima,  dressed  in  silk  instead 
of  rags,  and  her  lover  was  beside  her.  There  was 
nothing  to  do  all  day  long  but  to  be  happy.  If  she 
wanted  a  flower  or  an  ice  her  lover  would  get  it.  At 
night,  she  would  sleep  on  a  soft  bed  in  a  room  with  silk 
window-curtains,  and  if  it  rained  in  the  morning,  she 
would  not  care.     There  would  be  no  silk-mill  to  go  to. 

All  at  once,  she  became  uneasy.  Something  was 
disturbing  the  game ;  she  was  no  longer  Ottima,  she  was 
Pippa.  Then  she  realized  that  the  voices  inside  were 
louder.  They  were  not  happy  voices.  Ottima's 
sounded  as  if  she  were  going  to  cry.  Pippa  began  to 
think  she  had  made  a  mistake.  She  disliked  the 
summer-house  now.  It  must  be  close  inside;  the  win- 
dow-shutters were  tight  and  dust  was  thick  on  the 
sill.  A  bruised  plant  drooped  from  the  lattice.  How 
could  they  breathe  in  there!  From  the  door-step, 
Pippa  could  see  far  over  the  hills,  bathed  in  golden 
sunshine.  The  air  fairly  sparkled.  The  sky  over- 
head was  deepest  blue.  It  were  better  not  to  be 
Ottima,  thought  Pippa,  and  be  shut  up  in  a  hot  little 
summer-house  on  such  a  day  as  this.  Her  Day  it  was, 
to  do  with  as  she  liked.  She  jumped  up  from  the 
door-step  and  began  to  sing: 


38  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

"The  year's  at  the  spring 
And  day's  at  the  morn; 
Morning's  at  seven; 
The  hillside's  dew-pearled; 
The  lark's  on  the  wing; 
The  snail's  on  the  thorn: 
God's  in  his  heaven — 
All's  right  with  the  world!" 

As  she  ran  down  the  hillside,  she  knew  that  God 
loved  her  as  well  as  Ottima.  That  thought  was  happi- 
ness enough  for  this  sparkling  day  and  for  all  the  other 
days  of  the  year.     Pippa  sang  her  song  over  again. 

(Adapted  from  ^' Pippa  Passes,^'  hy  Robert  Browning.) 

Expressional  Work 

Pippa^s  song  is  printed  on  the  pupil's  lesson-leaf. 
Read  it  with  the  class,  and  explain,  if  necessary,  what 
the  condensed  phrases  mean.  Tell  them  how  a  sky- 
lark sings.  Ask  them  to  describe  what  beautiful 
things  they  may  have  seen  early  on  a  spring  morning. 
Have  them  memorize  the  song. 

There  is  opportunity  for  color-work  in  the  design. 

Home  Work 

For  supplementary  reading,  see  The  Little  Child 
at  the  Breakfast  Table,  XXV,  p.  40.  This  is  also  a 
good  time  to  read  Wordsworth's  poem,  The  Daffodils, 
beginning,  "I  wandered  lonely  as  a  cloud." 


LESSON  8 
THEOCRITE  AND  THE  ANGEL 

The  Purpose 

The  story  of  Theocrite  is  adapted  from  Browning's 
poem,  ''The  Boy  and  the  Angel.''  It  tells  us  that  the 
Father  hears  and  loves  the  songs  of  his  children,  that 
when  we  sing  praises  to  God  we  are  giving  him  something 
which  he  really  needs. 

The  Approach 

Stories  which  introduce  angels  always  stir  the  re- 
ligious emotions  of  the  child,  because  both  the  Bible 
and  sacred  art  have  associated  them  with  religious 
themes.  Ask  what  pictures  of  angels  look  like.  Some 
child  will  no  doubt  refer  to  the  wings.  The  people 
who  lived  when  our  Bible  was  written  thought  that 
angels  carried  the  messages  of  God  to  earth.  Seven, 
finer  than  all  the  rest,  stood  beside  the  throne  of  God 
ready  always  to  do  whatever  they  were  told.  Gabriel 
was  the  first  and  most  wonderful  of  these.  The  people 
thought  he  was  the  one  who  was  sent  to  whisper  to 
Mary  that  she  was  to  be  the  mother  of  baby  Jesus. 
In  today's  story,  the  poet  Browning  tells  us  that  Gabriel 
tried  to  take  the  place  of  one  little  boy  in  Rome — and 
learned  that  the  boy  could  do  something  for  God  which 
even  he  could  not  do  I 

Certain  references  to  monks  and  monastery  and  Pope 
may  not  be  readily  understood  by  our  Protestant 
children.    Ask  if  they  know  who  the  Pope  is,  where  he 

39 


40  CHILDREN   OF   THE   FATHER 

lives,  what  he  does.  Show  pictures,  first  of  St.  Peter's, 
then  of  a  monastery.  Tell  the  class  a  little  about  the 
monks,  and  how  they  used  to  make  beautiful  books  by 
hand,  coloring  the  letters  something  as  the  children 
color  the  texts  on  their  lesson  sheets.  The  story 
follows  naturally. 

The  Praise  of  Theocrite 

Theocrite  was  a  Uttle  boy  who  lived  long  ago,  in  a 
country  beyond  the  seas  toward  the  sunrise.  His 
home  was  a  stone  monastery  and  his  room  a  little  bare 
cell, — bare  except  where  the  sunshine,  coming  through 
the  one  window,  made  a  yellow  patch  on  the  wall  be- 
side his  bed.  Theocrite  began  his  day  before  the  yel- 
low patch  was  there,  for  he  had  much  work  to  do. 
But  as  he  worked,  he  sang. 

"Morning,  evening,  noon,  and  night, 
Traise  God,'  sang  Theocrite." 

The  good  monk  Blaise  heard  Theocrite's  little  voice 
singing,  "Praise  God."  It  wasn't  very  loud,  but  Blaise 
liked  it.  He  looked  in,  and  saw  the  boy  working  busily, 
his  head  bent  so  that  his  curls  fell  over  his  round  cheeks. 

"Said  Blaise  the  listening  monk,  'Well  done; 
I  doubt  not  thou  art  heard,  my  son: 

"  'As  well  as  if  thy  voice  to-day 
Were  praising  God  the  Pope's  great  way. 

"  'This  Easter  Day,  the  Pope  of  Rome 
Praises  God  from  Peter's  dome.' 

"Said  Theocrite,  'Would  God  that  I 
Might  praise  him  that  great  way,  and  die!'  '* 


CHILDREN    OF    GOD  41 

Blaise  went  on  down  the  corridor.  Theocrite  could 
hear  the  echoing  of  his  footsteps.  He  took  up  his 
work  again  with  a  sigh.  He  did  not  sing  any  more. 
Once  he  began,  he  was  so  used  to  singing;  but  his  voice 
sounded  so  thin  and  small  that  he  stopped.  How  could 
God  listen  to  his  little  song,  when  the  Pope  was  chant- 
ing his  praises  under  the  dome  of  St.  Peter's!  Just 
then,  the  monks  whom  he  knew  began  to  chant  their 
evening  prayer  in  the  chapel.  Usually  Theocrite  was 
glad  to  go  too,  but  to-night  the  voices  sounded  harsh 
and  rasping.  He  thought  all  at  once,  how  tired  he  was. 
It  was  late;  the  sunshine  had  gone. 

Next  morning  it  was  whispered  among  the  monks 
that  Theocrite  was  very  ill.  Blaise  was  taking  care 
of  him,  and  hoped  he  would  soon  be  well.  Meanwhile, 
the  others  missed  the  sound  of  his  voice  singing  "Praise 
God,''  as  they  passed  his  door. 

But  Theocrite  did  not  grow  better.  Day  after  day, 
he  lay  on  his  little  white  bed  and  watched  the  patch  of 
sunshine  on  the  wall.  The  monks  tiptoed  by  or  looked 
in  to  smile.  When  this  happened,  he  smiled  back; 
but  at  other  times  he  forgot  where  he  was,  and  thought 
only  of  the  pictures  painted  on  the  walls  of  the  chapel, 
— pictures  in  red  and  blue  and  gold,  of  a  choir  of  angels 
praising  God.  He  thought  especially  of  one  great 
angel,  Gabriel,  with  powerful  wings  tinted  like  rain- 
bows. 

One  night,  Theocrite  was  lying  awake,  while  Blaise 
nodded  in  the  chair  beside  his  bed.  It  was  still  in  the 
little  room.  Theocrite  had  a  feeling  that  it  would  not 
be  long  before  he  would  be  praising  God  in  Heaven 
itself.  Perhaps  his  voice  would  be  stronger  there. 
Just  then,  it  seemed  to  him  that  the  door  softly  opened, 
and  the  angel  Gabriel  entered.  Theocrite  knew  him 
because  he  was  like  the  picture  in  the  chapel,  tall  and 


42  CHILDREN   OF   THE   FATHER 

beautiful,  in  white  flowing  robes  edged  with  gold,  and 
rainbow-tinted  wings,  strong  enough  to  lift  him  to 
the  stars. 

Theocrite  heard  the  angel  speaking,  telling  him  to 
be  brave, — that  he  should  get  well  and  study  to  be  a 
priest  and  finally  be  Pope.  Then  indeed,  he  could 
praise  God  under  the  dome  of  St.  Peter's  itself. 

Theocrite  fell  asleep  and  from  that  minute  he  grew 
stronger.  As  soon  as  he  was  well,  he  left  the  monastery 
and  went  to  a  school  where  boys  were  taught  to  be 
priests.  But  he  left  behind  him  an  empty  cell,  with  a 
patch  of  sunshine  on  the  wall,  and  a  piece  of  work  not 
quite  finished. 

Now  it  is  said,  that  when  God  no  longer  heard  Theo- 
crite's  song  of  praise,  he  missed  it. 

"God  said  in  heaven,  'Nor  day  nor  night 
Now  brings  the  voice  of  my  delight.'  " 

The  angel  Gabriel  heard.  He  spread  his  rainbow- 
tinted  wings,  and  stood  before  the  monastery.  Being 
an  angel,  he  could  take  any  form  he  liked,  and  when  he 
entered  the  gate,  the  monks  thought  it  was  Theocrite 
come  back. 

The  angel  went  into  the  empty  cell,  and  sat  down  to 
finish  Theocrite's  work;  and  as  he  worked,  he  sang 
"Praise  God,"  even  as  Theocrite  had  sung.  Although 
he  was  an  angel,  he  was  perfectly  satisfied  to  do  God's 
work  on  earth,  and  the  monks,  stopping  near  the  open 
door  to  listen,  were  glad  to  think  that  Theocrite,  as 
they  supposed,  could  sing  once  more. 

But  although  they  did  not  know  the  difference  be- 
tween the  angel's  song  and  Theocrite's,  God  knew. 
The  angel's  voice  was  stronger,  surer;  his  song  was  that 
of  one  who  knows  God  because  he  has  lived  in  Heaven. 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  43 

"God  said,  'A  voice  is  in  mine  ear; 
There  is  no  doubt  in  it,  no  fear: 

"  'Clearer  loves  sound  other  ways: 
I  miss  my  little  human  praise.'  " 

The  angel  Gabriel,  working  in  Theocrite's  cell,  heard 
these  words  of  God.  He  understood  then  that  God 
needed  Theocrite's  song  as  only  Theocrite  could  sing  it. 

Gabriel  left  the  cell  and  threw  off  his  disguise.  Once 
more  he  was  an  angel  with  rainbow-tinted  wings. 

Those  wings  lifted  him  until  he  was  like  a  sunset 
cloud,  which  floated  until  it  hung  over  St.  Peter's. 
And  then  it  was  Easter  Day  and  Gabriel  was  in  the 
room  where  Theocrite  was  standing,  in  the  stiff,  silk 
vestments  of  the  Pope.  Theocrite  looked  up  and  saw 
the  angel.  He  remembered  the  Httle  cell  and  the  night 
on  which  the  angel  promised  him  that  he  should  some 
day  be  Pope.  The  promise  had  come  true, — and  yet, 
was  he  really  glad?  He  thought  of  another  Easter 
Day,  when  the  good  monk  Blaise  had  praised  his  little 
song.  All  at  once,  Theocrite  wished  he  were  in  that 
cell  again,  doing  his  work  and  singing  "Praise  God." 

Once  more  the  angel  took  Theocrite's  place,  but  this 
time  it  was  as  Pope.  Theocrite  went  back  to  the  cell 
and  took  up  his  work.  The  sunshine  still  made  a 
yellow  patch  upon  the  wall,  the  monks  still  chanted 
in  the  chapel. 

"Morning,  evening,  noon  and  night, 
Traise  God!"  sang  Theocrite." 

He  knew  now  tb^t  God  could  not  get  along  without 
his  song. 


44  CHILDREN  OF  THE   FATHER 

Expressional  Work 

The  text  for  the  pupils'  note-book  should  be  mem- 
orized. When  it  is  colored,  remind  the  class  that 
Theocrite  probably  colored,  not  only  verses  but  whole 
passages  from  the  Bible  as  part  of  his  work. 

Memory  Verse 
Let  every  thing  that  hath  breath  praise  the  Lord. 

Psalm  150:6. 

Home  Work 

Certain  of  the  great  Psalms  of  praise  (145 — 150) 
make  the  best  of  reading  to  follow  this  lesson.  The 
best  of  all,  perhaps,  for  children,  is  148. 


PART  II 
CHILDREN  OF  PROPHECY 


THEME 


I  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  saying,  Whom  shall  I  send, 
and  who  will  go  for  us?   Then  I  said,  Here  am  I ;  send  me. 

Isaiah  6:8. 


CHILDREN  OF  PROPHECY 

The  Purpose  of  the  Group 

The  word  "prophecy"  is  used  here  not  as  divina- 
tion, the  foretelling  of  future  events,  but  in  its  literal 
meaning  of  interpretation,  "speaking  for"  God.  It 
includes,  naturally,  Hstening  in  the  spiritual  sense; 
'  'He  that  hath  ears,  let  him  hear." 

It  seems,  when  we  look  back  over  history,  as  if  only 
selected  individuals  had  this  peculiarly  close  relation- 
ship with  the  Father;  but  whatever  our  personal  feel- 
ing about  it,  we  must  not  treat  these  lessons  as  if  they 
dealt  with  abnormal  situations.  The  first  lesson, 
telling  of  the  child  Samuel  in  the  temple,  with  its  refer- 
ence to  Theodore  Parker  and  the  voice  of  conscience, 
is  familiar  to  the  children.  They  learned  of  this  in 
kindergarten  days.  They  might  tell  of  experiences 
of  their  own,  if  they  only  would.  I  know  of  one  child 
who  used  to  turn  the  pages  of  the  family  Bible  and  there- 
by received  a  lasting  impression  of  the  nearness  of  God, 
just  by  seeing  again  and  again  the  phrase,  "And  God 
spake  unto  Moses."  To  children  of  eight  years,  God^s 
closeness  is  still  one  of  the  great  realities.  So  let  us  not 
treat  the  experiences  of  these  Children  of  Prophecy 
as  if  they  were  miraculous.  We  take  the  fact  of  reve- 
lation for  granted,  and  deal  with  its  consequences, — 
the  power  of  those  who  speak  for  God. 

If  the  school  calendar  will  not  permit  giving  all  of 
these  lessons,  omit  one  of  the  lessons  on  Samuel,  the 
story  of  Elijah  (which  will  come  later  in  the  Beacon 
Course),  and  the  lesson  on  Saul  of  Tarsus,  "On  the 
Road  to  Damascus." 

46 


LESSON  9 

THE  CHILDHOOD  OF  SAMUEL 

The  Purpose 
This  lesson  shows  how  a  Httle  child,  serving  God 
faithfully,  may  hear  the  divine  voice. 

The  Approach 

This  story  is  used  in  the  kindergarten  book  in  this 
course.     If  the  pupils  remember  it,  the  telhng  may  be 
a  review,  in  part,  and  the  class  may  supply  pomts 
where  it  can.     Begin  by  asking,  '^Do  you  remember  the 
story  of  Samuel  when  he  was  a  little  boy  and  hved  in 
the  temple?"     If  the  children  do  not  remember,  tell 
the  story  without  further  preface.     If  they  do,  bring 
out  the  following  points  by  questions:  "How  old  was 
he*^     How  did  so  young  a  child  happen  to  be  there? 
What  did  his  mother  do  for  him?    What  did  he  do  m 
the   temple?    Who   was   the   priest?    Did   EH  have 
other  helpers  beside  Samuel?     Did  they  hear  the  voice 
of  God*^     Why  not?    Tell  how  Samuel  heard  it.     At 
the   close,   have   the   class  repeat   together   SamueFs 
reply,  "Speak,  Lord,  for  thy  servant  heareth. 

The  Childhood  of  Samuel 

Samuel  was  Hannah's  only  son,  and  she  loved  him 
so  much  that  she  gave  him  up  to  serve  m  the  temple 
at  Shiloh.     She  would  have  liked  to  keep  him  with 
her,  but  she  was  grateful  to  God  for  giving  her  Samuel 
and  wished  the  child  to  be  where  he  could  serve  God 

47 


48  CHILDREN   OF   THE   FATHER 

constantly.  So  she  brought  Samuel  to  the  temple 
when  he  was  such  a  little  boy  that  you  would  have 
thought  he  was  too  young  to  leave  his  mother. 

Eli  took  care  of  him.  Eli  was  a  priest  who  lived  in 
the  temple  day  and  night.  He  had  two  sons  of  his 
own,  Hophni  and  Phinehas,  who  helped  him  in  the 
services  of  worship;  but  they  had  not  been  well  brought 
up  and  gave  their  father  a  great  deal  of  trouble.  The 
most  they  thought  of  was  having  something  to  eat,  and 
when  the  people  came  in  from  the  country  with  offerings 
for  the  Lord,  Eli's  sons  kept  the  best  part  for  them- 
selves and  offered  to  the  Lord  whatever  was  left.  Eli 
was  so  distressed  over  the  behaviour  of  his  sons  that 
he  taught  Samuel  with  great  care.  Samuel  learned 
first  to  keep  the  temple  fresh  and  clean.  Every  morn- 
ing he  opened  the  doors  wide  to  let  in  the  pure  air.  Every 
night  he  trimmed  the  lamp  which  burned  before  the 
sacred  Ark  of  the  Covenant  that  Moses,  Eli  told  him, 
had  brought  from  Mount  Sinai.  Samuel  liked  to 
do  this  because  the  Ark  was  covered  with  gold  which 
glowed  wonderfully  in  the  lamplight  when  the  rest  of 
the  temple  was  dark.  He  could  easily  understand 
why  it  was  beheved  to  be  the  mercy-seat  of  God. 
Most  important  of  all,  he  helped  in  the  service  before 
the  altar.  When  he  began  to  do  this,  people  came  more 
frequently  to  the  temple.  Many  had  been  so  dis- 
gusted by  the  behaviour  of  Eli's  wicked  sons  that  they 
stayed  away,  but  Samuel's  purity  made  them  feel  that 
they  could  worship  God  more  truly.  He  became  a  dear 
and  familiar  figure,  ministering  in  the  temple  in  a  little 
linen  robe,  fashioned  like  Eli's.  Each  year,  when  his 
mother  came  to  worship,  she  brought  him  such  a  robe, 
which  she  had  made  herself. 

Thus  his  life  went  on  very  quietly.  For  although 
Samuel  prayed  to  God,  as  Eli  had  taught  him,  he  never 


CHILDEEN  OF  PROPHECT  49 

heard  any  reply  or  expected  any.  Men  in  those  days 
did  not  hear  the  voice  of  God  plainly,  as  they  beheved 
Abraham  and  Moses  had  heard  it. 

One  night,  Eli  lay  down  as  usual,  and  went  to  sleep; 
and  Samuel  also  lay  down.  The  temple  was  very  still 
and  dark  except  for  the  single  lamp  whose  light  showed 
the  outlines  of  the  ark  behind  the  altar.  Samuel  was 
not  sure  whether  he  was  asleep  or  not ;  but  he  suddenly 
started  up,  hearing  his  name.  He  ran  to  EU's  side, 
calling  as  he  went, 

"Here  am  I.'^ 

But  Eh  said, 

"I  called  not,  my  son;  lie  down  again.^* 

Samuel  was  sure  then  that  he  had  been  dreaming, 
so  he  went  back  to  his  bed  and  wrapped  himself  up  in 
the  blanket.     But  he  heard  a  voice  say, 

"Samuel.'^ 

Again  Samuel  ran  to  Eli  and  said, 

"Here  am  I;  for  thou  calledst  me." 

And  again  Eli  answered, 

"I  called  not,  my  son;  lie  down  again." 

Samuel  heard  the  voice  the  third  time,  and  went  to 
EU,  saying, 

"Here  am  I;  for  thou  calledst  me." 

Then  Eli  knew  that  God  was  calling  Samuel,  so  he 
said, 

"Go,  lie  down;  and  if  he  call  thee,  say,  'Speak,  Lord; 
for  thy  servant  heareth.'  " 

So  Samuel  went  and  lay  down  in  his  place;  and  the 
voice  came  as  before,  and  said, 

"Samuel,  Samuel." 

Then  Samuel  said, 

"Speak,  Lord,  for  thy  servant  heareth." 

Then  God  told  him  that  EU's  sons  must  suffer  for  the 


^^/' 


50  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

wrong  things  they  had  done;  and  other  things  he  said 
of  what  would  happen  to  Israel. 

So  Samuel  heard,  and  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  back 
to  Israel.  It  had  come  many  years  before  to  Abraham 
and  Moses,  but  men  had  become  too  selfish  and  had 
done  too  many  wrong  things  to  hear  God's  voice  any 
longer.  Samuel  heard  as  we  may  all  hear  if  we  do 
right  so  far  as  we  know  how  and  learn  how  to  listen. 
Let  us  all  say  together  the  words  which  Eli  told  Samuel 
he  should  say  when  God  called. 

**  Speak,  Lord,  for  thy  servant  heareth/' 

I   Samuel  3:9. 


Expressional  Work 

Visualization:  How  many  of  you  can  imagine  how 
Samuel  looked?     How  tall  do  you  think  he  was?     As 

tall  as ?     How  old  was  Eli?    Do  you  think 

the  temple  was  very  dark  at  night?  Why  not?  Do 
you  know  what  shape  the  Ark  was?  What  was  said 
to  be  within  it?  Yes,  the  stone  tablets  on  which  were 
written  the  Ten  Commandments. 

The  Text :  If  there  is  time,  all  the  letters  may  be 
colored;  otherwise,  only  the  capital.  The  pupils  should 
not  go  on  with  the  text  until  they  have  colored  the 
capital  satisfactorily. 

Home  Work 

The  parents  may  read  with  the  children  the  story 
in  I  Samuel  3:  1-10.  The  other  passages  in  the  Bible 
narrative  can  more  safely  be  omitted,  as  there  is  much 
in  them  beyond  the  understanding  of  children.  A 
correlated  story  is  that  of  Theodore  Parker  and  the 


CHILDREN   OF   PROPHECY  51 

Tortoise.*  The  children  should  be  encouraged  to 
repeat  the  text  during  the  week,  to  finish  the  coloring 
at  home,  if  necessary,  and  to  keep  it  in  sight.  Such  a 
weekly  exhibition  of  hand-work  will  not  only  impress 
the  text  on  the  child's  memory,  but  encourage  care  in 
using  the  crayons. 

*  Repeated  by  Mrs.  Charles  A.  Lane  in  First  Book  of  Religion,  p.  46. 
It  IS  also  in  The  Little  Child  at  the  Breakfast  Table,  p.  16. 


LESSON  10 
THE  MAN  OF  GOD 

The  Purpose 

The  intention  of  this  lesson  is  to  continue  the  story 
of  Samuel,  showing  how  he  spoke  for  God  to  the  people 
of  Israel.  Action  centres  about  the  choosing  of  Saul 
as  king.  Make  it  clear  that  Samuel  held  the  first 
place,  above  even  the  elders  of  the  people,  because  he 
was  regarded  as  the  one  among  them  all  who  could  hear 
God's  voice  clearly.  We  call  him  a  prophet;  they  spoke 
of  him  as  "the  Man  of  God.'' 

The  Approach 

Recall  the  story  of  the  child  Samuel  in  the  temple. 
Why  did  God  speak  to  Samuel  instead  of  to  Eli? 

The  Man  of  God 

Samuel,  the  little  child,  had  grown  up.  He  was 
Judge  of  Israel. 

This  does  not  mean  that  he  was  one  of  many  judges 
as  he  would  be  to-day.  In  those  far  off  days,  there  was 
only  one  Judge,  and  he  was  the  first  man  in  the  land. 
All  the  people,  young  and  old,  rich  and  poor,  asked 
his  advice.  If  two  neighbors  quarrelled,  they  took 
their  trouble  to  Samuel.  If  another  country  made 
war  upon  Israel,  it  was  Samuel  who  told  the  people  when 
and  where  to  fight.  His  home,  in  the  town  of  Ramah, 
was  the  most  important  of  all  Israel's  towns;  and  next 
to  it  came  Bethel  and  Mizpah  and  Gilead,  which 

52 


CHILDREN    OF   PROPHECY  53 

Samuel  visited  regularly.  If  any  man  needed  Samuel's 
help,  he  went  to  one  of  these  towns,  when  he  knew  that 
Samuel  would  be  there. 

Why  did  the  Israelites  choose  Samuel  for  this  high 
place?  It  was  because  he  could  hear  God's  voice  so 
clearly.  When  men  came  to  him  in  trouble,  Samuel 
always  asked  God  what  he  should  do.  The  people 
knew  this,  and  they  beheved  that  God  was  their  Judge 
through  Samuel.  So  it  was  that  they  called  Samuel 
"the  man  of  God.'' 

For  many  years  he  judged  Israel,  and  all  went  well. 
But  the  day  came,  when  he  found  himself  growing  old. 
He  had  two  sons,  and  he  thought, 

"They  should  carry  on  my  work.  They  are  young 
and  strong.  They  could  go  to  Bethel  and  Mizpah  and 
Gilead  and  not  be  tired  as  I  am.  I  will  make  them 
Judges  of  Israel,  and  the  people  will  receive  them  be- 
cause they  are  my  sons." 

How  glad  these  sons  should  have  been  to  help  so 
good  a  father!  You  and  I  would  have  gone  about  from 
place  to  place,  and  have  listened  to  the  people's  troubles, 
and  have  told  them  just  what  to  do  when  the  Philistines 
came  up  to  make  war.  You  and  I  would  have  told 
God  all  about  it  and  asked  him  to  tell  us  the  best  thing 
to  do  and  say. 

But  Samuel's  sons  made  mistakes.  They  were  quite 
wilhng  to  judge  the  people,  but  they  did  not  think  it 
necessary  to  ask  God  what  to  do.  It  looked  very  much 
as  if  they  and  God  were  strangers.  They  did  not 
succeed  as  judges,  and  the  people  came  back  to  Samuel 
and  found  fault. 

"Behold,  thou  art  old,"  they  said,  "and  thy  sons 
walk  not  in  thy  ways:  now  make  us  a  king  to  judge  us 
like  all  the  nations." 

Samuel  did  not  like  to  have  the  people  ask  for  a  king. 


54  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

He  wished  them  to  have  no  king  but  God.  But  he 
took  the  matter  before  God  as  he  always  did,  and  asked 
what  he  should  do. 

God  told  Samuel  to  listen  to  the  people;  but  first  he 
must  tell  them  what  a  king  would  be  like.  Perhaps 
they  would  change  their  minds  when  they  knew. 

Samuel  called  the  people  together  and  said, 

"A  king  will  take  your  sons  and  make  them  care 
for  his  chariots  and  his  horses.  Some  of  you  will  be 
captains  of  large  and  some  of  small  companies,  not  as 
ye  deserve  but  as  he  pleases.  Others  must  plow  his 
ground  and  reap  his  harvest,  or  make  his  armor  and 
chariots.  He  will  take  your  daughters  for  perfumers 
and  cooks  and  bakers.  Your  fields  and  vineyards  and 
olive-orchards,  the  very  best  of  them,  he  will  give  to 
his  servants.  He  will  use  your  servants  for  his  own 
work.  He  will  take  a  tenth  part  of  your  flocks  and 
make  slaves  of  all  of  you.  Then  ye  will  be  sorry  be- 
cause ye  have  chosen  a  king." 

But  the  people  said, 

*'No,  we  must  have  a  king,  so  that  we  shall  be  like 
other  nations.  A  king  will  lead  us  in  war,  and  fight 
our  battles." 

Samuel  sent  them  home,  and  went  away  himself. 
He  came  to  a  town  on  a  hill,  and  stayed  there  for  a 
httle.  The  townspeople  were  glad  to  see  him.  He  told 
them  he  had  come  there  to  offer  sacrifice,  which  means 
that  he  would  build  a  fire  on  an  altar  and  worship  God 
before  it.  He  often  did  this  at  the  httle  towns,  and  all 
the  people  who  hved  there  came  to  worship  with  him. 
But  the  day  before  the  sacrifice,  Samuel  asked  God 
what  he  should  do  about  finding  a  king  for  Israel.  It 
was  the  hardest  thing  he  had  ever  had  to  do.  He 
wanted  very  much  to  find  a  man  who  would  be  a  great 
leader,  and  who  would  obey  the  voice  of  God.     So  he 


CHILDREN   OF   PROPHECY  55 

prayed  most  earnestly;  and  God  told  him  not  to  be 
worried,  that  he  would  find  a  king  on  the  morrow. 

To-morrow  came,  and  Samuel  went  out  from  the 
house  where  he  was  staying  and  started  for  the  hill- top ; 
for  it  was  there  that  he  was  to  offer  sacrifice.  As  he 
passed  the  gate-way,  a  young  man  came  through  in 
haste,  as  if  he  were  looking  for  someone  whom  he  feared 
to  miss.  He  stopped  when  he  saw  Samuel,  and  the 
two  looked  at  each  other  earnestly. 

"Canst  thou  tell  me,"  said  the  young  man,  "where 
to  find  the  house  of  the  man  of  God?'^ 

Samuel  did  not  answer  for  a  minute.  He  had  never 
seen  such  a  man  as  this.  He  was  taller  than  Samuel 
himself,  who  had  to  throw  his  head  back  to  look  into 
the  young  man's  eyes.  He  was  head  and  shoulders 
above  the  servant  who  followed  him.  Surely,  this  was 
the  man  who  should  be  king  of  Israel. 

Then  Samuel  remembered  that  the  young  man  had 
asked  him  a  question. 

"I  am  the  man  of  God,"  he  said,  "but  go  before  me 
to  the  hill- top,  for  thou  shalt  eat  with  me  to-day: 
and  in  the  morning  I  will  let  thee  go." 

And  he  added,  after  another  keen  glance, 

"Shouldst  not  thou  have  thefkingdom  of  Israel?" 

Now  this  young  man  was  Saul,  son  of  Kish,  who  had 
never  thought  his  family  very  important.  They  had 
always  been  simple  people,  and  Saul  had  only  gone  far 
away  from  home  to-day  because  he  was  hunting  for  his 
father's  asses  which  had  strayed  away  and  were  lost. 
When  he  heard  Samuel  speak  of  him  as  king,  he  was 
almost  too  astonished  to  speak.  But  he  went  with 
Samuel  to  the  hill- top,  and  allowed  him  to  place  him 
at  the  head  of  the  table  and  give  him  the  best  food 
there  was.  And  after  the  sacrifice,  he  followed  Samuel 
to  his  house  and  heard  how  Israel  wanted  a  king,  one 


56  CHILDREN    OF  THE    FATHER 

who  would  lead  the  people  in  war  and  fight  their 
battles.  Saul  straightened  his  broad  shoulders  and 
thought  that  being  a  king  would  not  be  so  hard. 

In  the  morning,  Saul  rose  early  and  they  went 
through  the  town  together.  When  they  came  outside 
the  gate,  Samuel  said, 

"Command  thy  servant  to  go  ahead,  but  stand  thou 
still,  that  thou  may  est  hear  from  me  the  word  of  God.'' 

Samuel  had  brought  with  him  a  vial  of  precious  oil, 
such  as  is  used  to  consecrate  a  man  who  was  to  be  king. 
He  poured  a  little  on  SauFs  head  and  kissed  him, 
saying, 

"Has  not  the  Lord  anointed  thee  to  be  prince  over 
his  inheritance?'' 

So  Israel's  first  king  stood  before  Samuel  in  the 
early  morning  sunshine. 

It  was  several  days  later  that  Samuel  presented  Saul 
to  the  people;  and  he  stood  head  and  shoulders  above 
them  all. 

"See  ye  him  whom  the  Lord  hath  chosen,  that  there 
is  none  like  him  among  the  people?"  asked  Samuel. 

And  all  the  people  shouted,  and  said, 

"God  save  the  king!" 

(Adapted  from  I  Samuel  8,  9,  and  10). 

Expressional  Work 

A  skeleton  story  is  provided  with  this  lesson.  The 
following  key  is  furnished  for  the  teacher. 

The  Man  of  God 

When  Samuel  grew  to  be  a  (man),  he  heard  God's 
(voice)  as  clearly  as  when  it  had  called  him  in  the 
(temple).     So  he  became  Judge,   or  ruler  of  Israel, 


CHILDREN   OF  PROPHECY  57 

because  he  could  (speak)  for  (God)  who  is  ruler  over 
all.  But  when  Samuel  was  (old),  and  not  strong 
enough  to  be  Judge,  the  people  asked  for  a  (king). 
The  man  whom  Samuel  chose  was  named  (Saul).  He 
was  tall  and  (strong),  and  could  lead  the  people  in 
(war);  and  Samuel  hoped  that  he  would  also  (obey) 
God. 

The  acorn  is  used  in  the  design  because  it  is  the 
fruit  of  the  oak,  which  suggests  strength,  like  that  of 
'^the  Man  of  God." 

Dramatization:  While  parts  of  the  story  are  purely 
descriptive,  there  are  dramatic  possibilities.  There 
might  be  a  division  into  two  acts,  with  several  scenes 
in  each. 

Act  I.      The  Demand  of  the  People  for  a  King. 

Scene  1.  The  request  of  the  people.  Scene 
2.  Samuel's  prayer  for  help.  Scene  3. 
His  speech  to  the  people. 

Act.  II.   The  Anointing  of  Saul. 

Scene  1.  The  meeting  between  Samuel  and 
Saul.  Scene  2.  The  feast  on  the  hilltop. 
Scene  3.  The  anointing.  Seme  4.  The 
presentation  of  Saul  to  the  people. 

Home  Work 

References  for  Bible  readings  with  the  children  are 
I  Samuel  7:  15-17;  8:  1-22;  9:  1-14,  18-27;  10:  1,  17-26. 
For  poetry,  read  "The  Inner  Voice,"  by  William 
Ghanning  Gannett,  in  The  Little  Child  at  the  Breakfast 
Table,  p.  17. 


LESSON  11 
HOW  SAMUEL  MET  DAVID 

The  Purpose 

Above  the  heavy  chords  of  this  dramatic  story,'runs 
one  clear  theme:  the  man  who  hstens  to  God  and 
obeys  him  is  strong;  he  who  disobeys  is  weak,  even 
though  he  be  a  king.  Ethically  speaking,  obedience 
is  the  strongest  note,  but  there  is  also  a  suggestion  of 
perseverance,  in  SamueFs  disappointment  and  his 
courage  in  starting  out  to  try  again.  Children  of  eight 
are  often  as  much  in  need  of  encouragement  in  perse- 
verance as  in  exhortation  to  obedience;  so  a  few  ques- 
tions are  asked  after  the  lesson  to  bring  out  this  element 
in  the  story. 

The  Approach 

Talk  with  the  class  about  kings.  Find  out  their 
idea  of  a  king's  power.  If  you  use  any  modern  ex- 
amples, choose  kings  whose  power  corresponds  to  that 
of  the  kings  of  Israel,  like  the  Czar  or  the  Kaiser.  A 
king  is  apt  to  be  a  picturesque  figure  to  a  child's  imag- 
ination, and  this  is  a  point  to  be  considered  in  teaching 
the  lesson;  but  don't  take  the  wind  out  of  your ^ sails 
by  belittling  a  king  here.     Let  the  story  do  that. 

Bring  two  of  the  principal  characters  before  the  class 
by  questions  about  the  previous  lesson.  Who  can  tell 
me  who  Saul  was?    Who  made  him  king? 

Do  not  stop  for  further  questions,  but  proceed  at 
once  with  the  story. 

58 


CHILDREN   OF   PROPHECY  69 


How  Samuel  Met  David 


Saul  was  forty  years  old  when  he  began  to  :reign, 
and  he  reigned  two  years  over  Israel.  Only  two  years! 
A  very  short  time  it  was  for  a  man  so  young;  but  Saul, 
in  spite  of  his  wonderful  beauty  and  strength,  dis- 
obeyed the  voice  of  God. 

The  Amalekites  were  a  tribe  of  wicked  people,  and 
Saul  prepared  to  make  war  upon  them.  He  had  no 
fear.  He  was  making  war  constantly  and  successfully 
on  the  Philistines.  He  was  a  great  warrior  and  he 
knew  it.  Moreover,  he  had  every  mighty  man  of 
Israel  on  his  side.  And  when  he  conquered  a  town, 
he  took  the  best  of  their  cattle  and  sheep  and  camels 
and  asses  for  himself  and  his  mighty  men. 

Saul  and  his  army  were  ready  to  m^arch  upon  Amalek, 
when  Samuel  came  before  the  king;  for  Samuel  still 
brought  the  word  of  God  to  Israel,  and  Saul  respected 
and  feared  him. 

"When  thou  takest  Amalek,"  said  Samuel,  "thou 
shalt  not  bring  away  ox  or  sheep,  camel  or  ass.  This 
is  the  word  of  the  Lord.     Hearken  thou  unto  it.'' 

Saul  summoned  his  army  and  counted  them;  two 
hundred  and  ten  thousand  there  were.  He  marched 
into  the  valley  before  Amalek  and  destroyed  the  city 
utterly.  But  when  he  saw  how  fat  and  good  were  the 
sheep  and  lambs  and  oxen,  he  forgot  the  word  of  the 
Lord  and  took  them  away  with  him. 

Back  in  his  tent,  he  looked  up  and  saw  Samuel 
coming. 

"Blessed  be  thou  of  the  Lord,"  said  Saul,  "I  have 
conquered  Amalek." 

And  Samuel  said, 

"What  meaneth  then  this  bleating  of  the  sheep  in 
mine  ears,  and  the  lowing  of  the  oxen  which  I  hear?" 


60  CHILDREN   OF  THE   FATHER 

And  Saul  said, 

"They  have  brought  them  from  the  Amalekites: 
for  the  people  saved  the  best  of  the  sheep  and  of  the 
oxen,  to  sacrifice  to  the  Lord  thy  God." 

(For  so  it  was  in  those  days.  They  thought  God 
liked  offerings  of  sheep  and  oxen,  and  they  called  it  a 
sacrifice.) 

And  Samuel  said, 

"Hath  the  Lord  as  great  delight  in  sacrifices  of  sheep 
and  oxen  as  in  obeying  the  voice  of  the  Lord?  Behold, 
to  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice.  Because  thou  hast 
rejected  the  word  of  the  Lord,  he  hath  also  rejected  thee 
from  being  king." 

Saul  bowed  his  head  in  shame.  "I  have  sinned,'' 
he  said,  "I  have  disobeyed  the  command  of  God  and 
thy  word  because  I  feared  the  people  and  obeyed  their 
voice.     Forgive  me." 

But  Samuel  turned  to  go  away. 

Saul  caught  the  skirt  of  his  robe,  and  it  tore  in  his 
hand.     Then  Samuel  said, 

"The  Lord  hath  rent  the  kingdom  from  thee  this 
day  and  hath  given  it  to  a  neighbor  of  thine  that  is 
better  than  thou." 

But  when  Saul  again  said,  "I  have  sinned,"  and  begged 
Samuel  not  to  dfegrace  him  before  the  people  and  the 
mighty  men  of  his  army,  Samuel  was  sorry  for  him  and 
tm-ned  and  worshipped  God  with  him  before  all  Israel. 

But  Samuel  could  not  forget.  The  man  he  had 
chosen  for  king  was  a  failure.  He  did  not  obey;  and 
even  a  child  can  obey.     What,  then  should  he  do? 

The  Lord  put  the  thought  in  his  heart  to  go  to 
Bethlehem. 

Samuel  filled  his  horn-shaped  vial  with  precious  oil 
and  went  to  look  for  another  king.  He  came  to  Bethle- 
hem, and  among  those  who  met  him  were  Jesse  and  his 


CHILDREN,  OF  PROPHECY  61 

sons.  The  sons  were  strong  men  who  had  fought  in 
Saul's  army;  and  when  Samuel  looked  at  the  eldest, 
he  thought,  ''Surely  he  is  the  Lord's  Anointed"  (mean- 
ing he  who  shall  be  anointed  king  of  Israel).  But  the 
thought  came  to  Samuel, 

''Look  not  at  his  face  or  his  height.  The  Lord 
seeth  not  as  man  seeth,  for  man  looketh  on  the  outward 
appearance,  but  the  Lord  looketh  on  the  heart." 

Samuel  remembered  Saul  who  was  so  tall  and  beau- 
tiful to  look  at,  and  looked  at  the  second  of  Jesse's  sons. 
But  he  said  to  himself, 

"Neither  hath  the  Lord  chosen  this  one.'' 

The  others  passed  by,  one  by  one,  and  still  Samuel 
said, 

"Neither  hath  the  Lord  chosen  these.  Are  here 
all  thy  children?" 

"There  remaineth  yet  the  youngest,"  said  Jesse, 
"and  behold,  he  keepeth  the  sheep." 

Then  Samuel  said  to  Jesse, 

"Send  and  fetch  him." 

Jesse  sent  and  David  was  brought  in.  Samuel 
looked  into  his  eyes  and  felt  that  the  Lord  was  saying, 

"Arise,  anoint  him:  for  this  is  he." 

So  Samuel  took  the  horn  of  oil,  and  anointed  David 
in  the  midst  of  his  brothers. 

But  Saul  was  still  king  in  name,  and  Samuel  knew 
that  David's  time  had  not  yet  come.  For  the  present, 
the  boy  David  was  sent  back  to  the  sheep-pasture. 
He  wondered  a  Httle  what  it  all  meant;  but  he  obeyed 
without  asking  any  questions. 

Application 

Why  did  Saul  disappoint  Samuel?  How  do  you 
think  Samuel  felt  about  it?     Is  it  hard  to  try  again? 


62  CHILDKEN   OF   THE   FATHER 

What  helped  Samuel  to  try?  Why  do  you  think  he 
chose  David?  Can  you  imagine  what  David  may 
have  looked  like? 

Expressional  Work 

Dramatization:  The  story  divides  itself  into  three 
scenes,  two  outside  Saul's  tent,  before  and  after  the 
battle  with  Amalek,  and  one  outside  the  gates  of 
Bethlehem.  Samuel  and  Saul  are  the  only  actors  in 
the  tent  scenes.  Samuel  should  stand  very  straight: 
in  the  first  scene,  Saul  is  gracious;  in  the  second,  he 
crouches.  The  conversation  may  be  repeated  exactly 
as  it  is  given  in  the  story.  For  the  scene  outside  Beth- 
lehem, Samuel  and  Jesse  are  the  only  ones  who  speak. 
Jesse  has  seven  sons  beside  David.  If  the  class  is  not 
large  enough,  one  child  may  impersonate  more  than 
one  son;  but  David  should  take  only  one  part.  He 
does  not  appear  in  the  scene  until  he  is  called  for.  So 
the  successful  acting  of  this  part  of  the  story  calls  for 
four  pupils  at  least,  ten  at  best.  If  there  are  yet  other 
children,  they  may  represent  the  people  of  Bethlehem. 
The  story  is  unusually  adaptable,  either  for  tableaux 
or  for  dramatization. 

If  this  form  of  expressional  work  is  impossible  for 
any  reason,  a  text  is  provided  to  be  memorized  and 
colored. 

**  Behold,  to  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice." 

I  Samuell5:22. 

Home  Work 

The  story  is  adapted  from  I  Samuel  13:  1,  14:  52, 
15:  1-31,  16:  1-13.  The  adaptation  has  been  difficult, 
and  the  parent  is  advised  not  to  add  to  it  from  the 
Bible  narrative.     There  is  much  in  this  story,  as  writ- 


CHILDREN   OF  PROPHECY  63 

ten  in  the  Old  Testament,  foreign  to  our  ideas  of  God. 
So  I  have  avoided  making  the  Lord  responsible  for  the 
destruction  of  Amalek,  and  have  used  only  those  por- 
tions absolutely  necessary  for  making  clear  Saul's  sin 
of  disobedience. 


LESSON  12 

Thanksgiving  Lesson 

THE  PASTOR  OF  THE  PILGRIMS 

The  Purpose 

The  story  of  John  Robinson  is  introduced  as  a  lesson 
appropriate  to  the  Thanksgiving  season;  but  he  fits 
into  this  group  as  "a  man  of  God",  one  who  carried 
God's  word  to  the  people.  It  was  for  the  freer  preach- 
ing of  that  word  and  the  extension  of  his  church  that 
the  emigration  of  the  Pilgrims  was  planned.  So  Uttle 
detail  is  known  of  his  life  that  it  is  a  difficult  subject 
to  make  interesting  to  children.  It  is  hoped  that  he 
will  not  appear  to  them  as  one  of  the  steel  engravings 
of  our  church  fathers,  but  as  a  picture  full  of  color. 
In  telling  the  story,  emphasize  the  man's  courage  and 
perseverance  in  putting  through  the  difficult  adven- 
ture of  crossing  to  Holland,  staying  until  the  last  him- 
self, Uke  the  captain  of  a  sinking  ship.  There  is  a 
tragedy  like  that  of  Moses  in  the  life  of  John  Robinson. 
Both  toiled  to  lead  their  people  to  the  Promised  Land, 
both  died  without  having  seen  it.  Appreciation  of  the 
tragic  element  may  not  be  possible  for  children  eight 
years  old,  but  if  the  teacher  feels  it,  she  can  make  the 
story  the  more  impressive. 

The  Approach 

What  holiday  comes  this  month?  Who  can  tell  me 
about  the  first  Thanksgiving?  Where  did  the  Pilgrims 
come  from? 

64 


CHILDREN   OF   PROPHECY  65 

I  have  a  story  for  you  telling  why  they  came.    It  is 
especially  about  the  brave  man  who  sent  them. 


The  Pastor  of  the  Pilgrims 

Across  the  seas  in  old  England  is  the  village  of 
Scrooby.  Before  New  England  had  been  heard  of, 
when  only  Indians  lived  on  the  coast  of  Massachusetts, 
the  children  of  Scrooby  played  games  in  the  shadow  of 
a  church  spire  and  ran  races  down  the  village  street. 
But  often  they  stopped  running  to  point  their  fingers 
at  a  man  who  walked  quietly  by,  not  appearing  to  see 
what  they  were  doing. 

After  all,  the  man  had  a  kind  face.  The  children 
liked  him  well.  They  only  pointed  their  fingers  be- 
cause it  seemed  the  thing  to  do.  Their  parents  laughed 
at  him  or  would  not  speak  at  aU  whenever  they  met 
him.  For  this  was  John  Robinson,  who  would  not  go 
to  their  church;  and  because  he  would  not  go  and  re- 
fused to  say  the  prayers  which  were  written  in  the 
prayer-book  and  which  they  all  knew  by  heart,  he  was 
laughed  at  and  the  children  pointed  their  fingers  at  him. 

John  Robinson  did  not  go  to  the  church  whose  spire 
cast  such  a  long  shadow  over  Scrooby  because  he  pre- 
ferred to  say  his  own  prayers.  Like  the  prophet 
Samuel,  he  heard  the  voice  of  God  and  was  very  near  to 
him.  He  taught  others  what  he  heard,  and  on  Sundays, 
instead  of  going  to  the  church  with  the  spire,  he  and 
they  met  in  a  large  house  with  a  minister  of  their  own 
and  said  their  own  prayers. 

Soon,  the  people  of  Scrooby  did  more  than  laugh  at 
Robinson  and  his  friends.  The  church  with  the  spire 
was  the  Church  of  England.  The  king  said  that  all 
his  people  ought  to  worship  there  whether  they  wanted 
to  or  not.     His  ofiicers  began  to  arrest  Robinson's 


66  CHILDEEN   OF  THE   FATHER 

friends  and  drag  them  into  court  and  take  their  money 
in  fines,  as  punishment  for  not  going  to  the  Church  of 
England. 

This  was  too  much.  They  could  stand  pointing 
fingers,  although  it  is  not  pleasant  to  have  your  neigh- 
bor laugh  at  you;  but  they  were  not  rich  enough  to  pay 
fines  continually  even  if  they  were  willing  to  stand 
such  unjust  treatment.  John  Robinson  suggested 
that  they  go  to  Holland.  He  had  known  some  Dutch- 
men, before  he  came  to  live  in  Scrooby,  and  they  told 
him  that  in  Amsterdam  men  could  worship  God  as 
they  pleased.     There  was  no  Church  of  England  there. 

But  leaving  England  would  be  no  easy  matter. 
To-day  if  we  wish  to  sail  for  Europe  or  Japan,  we  buy 
our  tickets  and  go.  In  those  days,  anyone  wishing  to 
leave  England  had  to  get  permission  from  the  king 
himself;  and  Robinson  doubted  very  much  whether 
the  king  would  give  permission.  They  would  have  to 
go  without  any  of  his  officers  knowing  it. 

Scrooby  lies  near  the  port  of  Boston,  after  which 
Boston,  Massachusetts,  was  named.  An  English  cap- 
tain was  found  who  promised,  for  a  good  sum,  to  take 
Robinson  and  his  friends  to  Holland.  They  were  to 
be  the  only  passengers  on  board,  and  he  understood,  of 
course,  that  nothing  was  to  be  said  about  it. 

So  those  men  and  women  and  children  who  would 
worship  God  in  their  own  way  left  Scrooby  quietly, — 
very  quietly.  Their  neighbors  hardly  knew  when 
they  had  gone,  or  wondered  why.  They  came  near 
Boston  where  the  ship  should  be.  They  hoped  to  see 
it  lying  in  the  harbor,  with  its  boats  ready  to  take  them 
aboard,  before  the  king's  officers  should  find  them  and 
ask  what  they  were  about. 

But  the  harbor  was  empty!  Where  could  that 
captain  be?    Had  he  had  an  accident  with  his  ship? 


CHILDREN   OF  PROPHECY  67 

Had  he  forgotten?  A  long  time  they  waited,  shivering 
in  the  cold,  for  it  was  fall  and  winter  was  in  the  air. 
At  last,  they  saw  the  ship.  No  officers  had  seen  them. 
Soon  they  would  be  safe. 

The  captain  took  them  all  on  board,  with  their  beds 
and  chairs  and  tables  and  all  their  household  goods. 
And  then — and  then  he  put  into  the  port  of  Boston, 
and  gave  them  all  up  to  the  king's  officers ! 

They  were  laughed  at  as  they  had  never  been  before. 
They  were  put  in  prison  and  kept  there  a  month. 
Then  they  had  to  go  back  to  Scrooby. 

But  John  Robinson  was  not  discouraged.  He  began 
at  once  to  plan  another  secret  trip  to  Holland. 

This  time,  he  found  a  Dutch  captain,  and  hoped  he 
was  an  honest  man.  He  agreed  to  meet  them  farther 
up  the  coast,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Humber  river.  Once 
more  they  quietly  left  Scrooby,  and  coming  to  the  river, 
sent  the  women  and  children  ahead  in  a  small  boat. 
But  the  boat  reached  the  mouth  of  the  river  before 
the  Dutch  captain  came  m  sight.  For  safety's  sake, 
it  put  into  a  creek;  but  the  creek  was  more  shallow 
than  they  thought,  and  the  boat  grounded.  There  was 
nothing  to  do  then  but  wait  for  the  captain  to  come  and 
take  them  off. 

This  he  would  have  done.  The  men  were  all  on 
board  the  big  boat,  and  small  boats  were  going  to  the 
rescue  of  the  women  and  children,  when  up  came  the 
officers  of  the  king.  The  Dutch  captain  and  part  of 
the  men  got  away.  As  for  the  officers,  there  was 
nothing  they  could  do  with  the  women.  It  was  the 
men  whom  they  wanted,  and  most  of  them  were  out 
of  reach  by  this  time. 

John  Robinson  was  not  among  the  men  who  sailed 
for  Holland  on  that  ship.  He  went  back  to  Scrooby 
again,  and  made  the  best  of  it.     Indeed  he  was  glad  not 


68  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

to  have  gone  since  all  could  not  go.  Those  who  were 
left  behind  needed  him  more  than  the  strong  men  who 
had  escaped  to  Amsterdam.  After  that,  he  succeeded 
in  sending  a  few  at  a  time  to  Holland.  He  himself 
went  with  the  last  party  of  all. 

Can  you  imagine  how  those  people  in  Holland  felt 
when  they  saw  John  Robinson  coming?  I  think  they 
must  have  stood  on  the  shore  and  watched  to  see  his 
ship  come  in  sight.  They  saw  it  grow  from  a  tiny 
speck  to  a  dark  spot  with  a  splash  of  light  where  the 
sails  were;  they  made  out  the  lines  of  the  hull  and  saw 
the  people  standing  on  deck;  and  at  last  they  looked 
once  more  into  the  face  of  John  Robinson,  with  a  smile 
on  it,  yet  with  tears  running  down  his  cheeks.  For  it 
seemed  now  as  if  his  troubles  were  all  over,— the 
dreaded  officers  and  the  prisons,  the  unkind  laughter 
and  the  pointing  fingers. 

And  indeed  they  were.  There  was  room  for  all  in 
Holland.  After  a  year,  they  settled  in  Leyden.  John 
Robinson  bought  a  large  house  with  room  enough  not 
only  for  his  wife  and  six  children  but  for  his  friends  to 
naeet  in  on  Sunday.  He  form-ed  a  church  of  his  own 
and  was  its  minister.  God  was  with  him  always,  and 
he  not  only  preached  to  his  people  but  wrote  many 
books.     It  was  the  happiest  time  in  his  life. 

There  was  considerable  talk  about  America  in  those 
days,  almost  as  much  as  there  is  now.  You  must 
remem^ber  that  it  wasn't  our  country  then, — just  a  fev/ 
httle  colonies  on  the  coast  and  behind  them  a  wilder- 
ness which  might  reach  all  the  \\ay  round  to  the  Holy 
Land  for  all  anyone  knew.  Holland  wasn't  a  large 
place  then,  any  more  than  it  is  to-day;  and  there  were 
already  a  good  many  people  living  in  it,  and  these 
people  had  their  own  churches.  John  Robinson  won- 
dered how  his  httle  church  could  ever  grow  over  there. 


CHILDREN    OF   PROPHECY  69 

If  new  families  didn't  come  in,  it  would  some  day  dis- 
appear altogether.  And  that  is  the  reason  why  he 
began  to  think  about  America,  with  its  rivers  and 
forests  and  mountains,  and  Indians  to  be  converted. 
His  heart  was  so  big  that  he  was  eager  to  make  friends 
even  with  the  Indians  and  have  them  come  to  his 
church. 

You  know  already  how  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  came 
over  in  the  Mayflower.  They  were  part  of  John  Rob- 
inson's church  in  Leyden.  It  was  he  who  got  the  ship 
and  made  all  the  arrangements.  But  it  was  the  same 
as  when  they  had  left  England  for  Holland ;  all  of  them 
could  not  go  the  first  time.  The  Mayflower  wasn't 
large  enough  to  hold  them.  You  remember,  perhaps, 
that  there  were  two  ships  to  start  with,  but  the  Speed- 
well was  not  a  strong  ship  and  had  to  put  back. 

John  Robinson  was  among  those  who  stayed  behind. 
He  felt  that  they  needed  him  more  than  those  who  were 
going.  But  before  the  Mayflower  sailed,  he  went  on 
board  and  kneeling  down  on  the  deck,  asked  God  to 
be  with  them  and  bring  them  to  a  safe  harbor.  And 
again  the  tears  ran  down  his  cheeks.  He  loved  them 
all  so  much  that  it  was  very  hard  not  to  be  going  too. 
He  stood  on  the  shore  and  watched  the  Mayflower 
until  she  dipped  over  the  edge  of  the  world  and  was 
gone. 

He  hoped  again  and  again  to  join  the  colony  at 
Plymouth;  but  he  found  it  hard  to  get  money  enough. 
He  had  all  that  was  needed  to  pay  for  the  passage  of 
himself  and  his  family;  but  his  friends  in  Holland  were 
poor  and  he  would  not  desert  them.  He  was  like  the 
captain  of  a  ship,  the  last  to  leave  it  even  if  the  ship 
is  going  down.  So  John  Robinson  died  without  ever 
having  seen  America. 

It  is  sad  to  think  of,  but  there  is  one  thing  we  Amer- 


70  CHILDREN   OF   THE   FATHER 

icans  can  do.  We  can  always  remember  that  if  it  had 
not  been  for  John  Robinson,  the  Pilgrim  Fathers 
might  never  have  come  over  here  at  all.  It  is  one  of 
the  things  we  have  to  be  thankful  for  that  this  brave 
man  cared  for  nothing  for  himself  except  freedom  to 
worship  his  heavenly  Father,  and  that  he  taught  the 
ancestors  of  many  of  us  to  feel  the  same  way.  That 
is  what  is  meant  by  the  last  lines  of  the  hymn  we  all 
sing  at  this  season. 

"Ay,  call  it  holy  ground, 

The  soil  where  first  they  trod! 
They  have  left  unstained,  what  here  they 

found : 
Freedom  to  worship  God." 


Expressional  Work 

A  selection  from  Psalm  107  (verses  23-31)  is  printed 
on  the  pupils'  sheets  for  a  reading  lesson.  Encourage 
the  children  to  tell  how  the  Pilgrims  were  like  the  people 
described  in  the  Psalm. 


Home  Work 

Read  again  the  passage  from  Psalm  107.  At  this 
time,  children  hear  much  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers.  It 
will  help  in  carrying  out  the  purpose  of  the  Sunday- 
school  lesson  if  the  parents  will  lay  stress  upon  the 
courage  of  these  men  who  were  sent  out  by  John  Rob- 
inson, and  their  reason  for  coming  to  America.  If 
The  Pilgrim's  Progress  by  John  Bunyan  is  a  household 
book,  compare  Robinson  with  Christian,  in  his  search 
for  the  heavenly  city,  and  the  dangers  he  met  with. 


CHILDREN   OF   PROPHECY  71 

Read  or  sing  the  hymn  from  which  one  verse  is  quoted 
in  the  lesson  story, — ^The  Landing  of  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers/'  by  Fehcia  D.  Hemans.  It  will  be  found  in 
Apples  of  Gold,  as  well  as  in  many  hymn  books  under 
the  first  line,  ^^The  breaking  waves  dashed  high." 


LESSON  13 
THE  STILL,  SMALL  VOICE 

The  Purpose 

As  in  "How  Samuel  Met  David' ^  the  story  of  Elijah 
is  an  illustration  of  the  power  of  a  prophet  over  a  king; 
but  the  situation  is  simpler  and  more  intense.  Where 
Saul  was  merely  disobedient,  Ahab  is  depraved.  ^'He 
did  that  which  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  above 
all  that  were  before  him."  Elijah's  need  of  perse- 
verance is  so  much  greater  than  Samuel's  that  we  cease 
to  call  it  perseverance  and  name  it  courage.  The 
lesson  shows  first  that  the  triumph  of  the  prophet  over 
the  priests  of  Baal  was  not  enough  to  save  him  from 
the  wrath  of  royalty,  second  that  God  supports  his 
loyal  children.  After  the  message  of  the  "still,  small 
voice,"  the  power  of  kings  is  of  no  account. 

The  Approach 

What  wa^  Samuel  called?  Yes,  a  prophet.  What 
is  a  prophet?  It  is  one  who  hears  God's  voice  so 
clearly  that  he  speaks  for  God  to  the  people.  Which 
was  stronger,  Samuel  or  Saul?     Why? 

To-day  we  are  to  hear  about  another  prophet  and 
another  king,  and  wonderful  things  which  happened 
to  the  prophet,  whose  name  was  Elijah. 

The  Still,  Small  Voice 

Elijah  was  a  prophet  in  Israel  when  Ahab  was  king. 
Ahab  was  a  bad  king,  far  worse  than  Saul ;  for  although 

72 


CHILDREN   OF   PROPHECY  7S 

King  Saul  did  not  obey  God,  yet  he  believed  in  him, 
while  Ahab  had  married  the  wicked  woman  Jezebel, 
and  like  her  did  not  believe  in  Elijah's  God  at  alL 
Instead  Ahab  and  Jezebel  worshipped  a  false  god  whom 
they  called  Baal.  Worst  of  all,  they  forced  the  people 
of  Israel  to  worship  him  too,  and  the  true  prophets 
of  God  had  to  hide  in  caves  to  save  their  lives. 

Elijah  did  not  hide  in  a  cave;  he  went  to  hve  in  the 
wilderness  where  no  one  could  find  him.  But  before 
he  went,  he  towered  before  Ahab,  as  the  king  sat  on 
his  throne,  and  told  him  that  no  rain  would  fall  in 
Samaria  because  of  his  wickedness.  Then,  before  the 
king  could  seize  him,  Elijah  was  gone. 

Elijah  was  right.  For  a  long  time  no  rain  fell,  until 
there  was  a  famine  like  that  in  Egypt  in  the  days  of 
Joseph.  But  here,  there  was  no  Joseph  to  help,  and 
the  people  all  suffered,  Ahab  and  Jezebel  as  much  as 
the  rest.  Then  Ahab  began  to  wish  that  Elijah  would 
come  back,  for  he  was  afraid  of  him  and  thought  that 
he  might  have  power  to  stop  the  drought,  since  he  had 
known  that  it  was  coming. 

Elijah  came  and  Ahab  went  to  meet  him.  When 
Ahab  saw  him  he  said, 

*^Is  it  thou,  thou  troubler  of  Israel?" 

Elijah  answered, 

"I  have  not  troubled  Israel:  it  is  thou,  because  thou 
hast  forgotten  God  and  followed  the  prophets  of  Baal. 
Now  send,  and  gather  all  Israel  before  me  at  Mount 
Carmel,  and  call  the  prophets  of  Baal.'' 

Ahab  sent  and  gathered  them  all  together  at  Mount 
Carmel.  Elijah  stood  on  the  lower  slopes  of  the 
mountain  and  spoke  to  the  people. 

"How  long  halt  ye  between  two  opinions?  If  the 
Lord  be  God,  follow  him:  but  if  Baal,  then  follow  him." 

The  people  said  not  a  word. 


74  CHILDREN   OF  THE   FATHER 

Then  Elijah  said, 

^^I,  even  I  only,  am  left  a  prophet  of  the  Lord;  but 
BaaFs  prophets  are  four  hundred  and  fifty  men.  Let 
them  build  an  altar  to  Baal  and  put  wood  on  it,  but 
no  fire;  and  I  will  build  an  altar  to  God  and  put  wood 
on  it  but  no  fire.  Let  them  call  on  the  name  of  their 
god,  and  I  will  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord:  and  the 
God  that  answereth  by  fire,  let  him  be  God." 

So  they  built  their  altars;  and  the  prophets  of  Baal 
called  on  the  name  of  Baal  from  morning  imtil  noon, 
crying,  "0  Baal,  hear  us.''     But  there  was  no  answer. 

"Cry  aloud,"  said  Elijah.     "Perhaps  he  is  asleep." 

So  they  cried  louder,  from  noon  until  evening.  But 
there  was  no  answer. 

Then  Elijah  poured  water  over  his  altar  until  it  ran 
down  into  the  trenches.  And  he  stood  before  it  and 
lifted  his  eyes  to  the  sky  and  said, 

"0  Lord,  let  it  be  known  this  day  tliat  thou  art 
God  in  Israel.  Hear  me,  O  Lord,  hear  me,  that  this 
people  may  know  that  thou  art  God,  and  that  thou 
hast  turned  their  hearts  back  to  thee." 

Then  lightning  fell  from  heaven  and  the  fire  burnt 
the  wood  upon  the  altar  and  played  over  the  water 
that  was  in  the  trench.  And  the  people  fell  upon  their 
faces  and  cried, 

"The  Lord  he  is  God:  the  Lord  he  is  God." 

Clouds  began  to  gather,  until  the  sky  was  black 
with  them;  and  there  was  wind  and  a  great  rain.  King 
Ahab  rode  in  his  chariot  before  the  storm  and  Elijah 
ran  with  him  into  the  city.  For  Elijah  had  triumphed. 
He  had  won  the  people  back  to  God. 

But  Jezebel  was  angry  at  the  defeat  of  her  prophets, 
and  next  day  Elijah  was  warned  to  make  his  escape 
before  Jezebel  took  his  life. 

This  time,  Elijah  went  far,  far  into  the  wilderness. 


CHILDREN   OF   PROPHECY  75 

He  wanted  to  die.  What  was  the  use  of  trying  to  save 
the  people  of  Israel  with  such  a  queen  as  Jezebel  and 
such  a  king  as  Ahab?  Now  that  he  could  not  stay  with 
them,  they  would  worship  Baal  again.  All  his  work 
had  gone  for  nothing.  He  was  alone,  with  no  one  to 
comfort  him. 

He  lived  in  a  cave  on  a  mountain.  One  day,  a  strong 
wind  broke  the  rocks  in  pieces;  but  the  Lord  was  not 
in  the  wind:  and  after  the  wind  came  an  earthquake; 
but  the  Lord  was  not  in  the  earthquake :  and  after  the 
earthquake  a  fire;  but  the  Lord  was  not  in  the  fire: 
and  after  the  fire,  a  still,  small  voice.  When  Elijah 
heard  that,  he  went  to  the  door  of  his  cave  and  hid 
his  face  in  his  cloak.     The  voice  said, 

"What  doest  thou  here,  Elijah?'' 

And  he  said, 

"The  children  of  Israel  have  forsaken  thee,  and  I, 
only  I,  am  left;  and  they  seek  my  life,  to  take  it  away." 

And  the  voice  said  to  Elijah, 

"Go;  return  on  thy  way." 

So  Elijah  went  back.  He  obeyed  the  voice  of  God 
and  it  gave  him  courage.  He  did  even  more  for  Israel 
after  his  return  than  he  had  before;  for  he  found  for  her 
a  new  king  and  gained  for  himself  a  follower  who  be- 
came the  prophet  EUsha  and  carried  on  his,  Elijah's, 
work. 

Expressional  Work 

Dramatization:  This  is  one  of  the  most  dramatic 
stories  in  the  Bible,  and  the  acting  of  it  should  have  an 
especially  strong  moral  effect  on  the  pupil  who  takes 
the  part  of  EUjah.  He  should  "tower"  before  the 
king  and  queen  in  the  first  scene,  and  be  superior  to 
the  prophets  of  Baal  in  the  second;  but  in  the  third  and 
last  scene,  before  the  cave  on  the  mountain,  he  stands 


76  CHILDREN   OF  THE   FATHER 

with  bowed  head  in  the  presence  of  the  Voice  which 
is  greater  than  he. 

A  skeleton  story  is  furnished  as  a  substitute,  if 
necessary,  for  dramatization. 

Key  to  the  Skeleton  Story 

Elijah  was  a  (prophet)  in  Israel  when  Ahab  was 
(king)  and  Jezebel  (queen).  They  did  not  believe  in 
(God);  they  built  altars  to  a  false  (god)  whom  they 
called  Baal. 

Ehjah  never  let  anyone  forget  that  he  was  a  (prophet). 
He  made  the  (people)  believe  in  the  (true)  God  once 
more.  But  Ahab  and  Jezebel  were  so  (angry)  that  he 
had  to  run  away  to  the  wilderness  and  live  in  a  (cave) 
on  a  mountain. 

He  stood  at  the  front  of  the  cave  and  felt  that  God 
was  very  (near).  A  great  strong  (wind)  blew,  but  God 
was  not  in  the  (wind) ;  and  after  the  (wind)  there  was 
an  (earthquake),  but  God  was  not  in  that;  and  after  the 
(earthquake)  a  (fire),  but  God  was  not  in  the  (fire); 
and  after  the  (fire)  came  a  still,  small  (voice).  And  the 
(voice)  told  Elijah  to  go  (back)  and  work  again  for 
Israel. 

Home  Work 

If  the  time  in  class  is  used  for  dramatic  expression, 
the  skeleton  story  may  be  filled  in  at  home.  Bible 
references  for  this  lesson  are  I  Kings  16:  30-32;  17:  1; 
18;  19:  9-15.  It  might  be  well  at  this  time  to  omit 
those  verses  which  tell  of  the  slaying  of  the  prophets  of 
Baal.  Review  Dr.  Gannett's  poem,  "The  Inner 
Voice."     (See  "Home  Work,"  Lesson  10). 


LESSON  14 
THE  CALL  OF  ISAIAH 

The  Purpose 

Isaiah  is  among  the  greatest  of  prophets.  His 
words  form  a  part  of  one  of  the  most  inspiring  books 
in  the  Old  Testament.  His  sayings  are  almost  as  well 
known  as  those  of  Jesus;  indeed,  there  is  probably  no 
one  of  God's  prophets  besides  Jesus,  with  the  possible 
exception  of  the  apostle  Paul,  who  has  made  such  a 
lasting  impression  upon  the  religious  life  of  humanity. 

Isaiah  is  represented  in  this  group  of  lessons  by  the 
story  of  the  Call.  The  purpose  of  this  particular 
lesson  is  identical  with  that  of  the  entire  group, — 
"Here  am  I;  send  me.''  We  are  not  all  prophets,  but 
God  has  chosen  each  one  of  us  to  do  something.  The 
story  of  Cosette  and  the  stranger  is  told  to  show  that  we 
should  all  help  according  to  our  abiUty,  and  that  God 
helps  others  through  us. 

The  Approach 

The  theme  of  the  opening  talk  should  be  service  to 
those  weaker  than  ourselves.  With  the  children  of 
your  class,  it  may  be  younger  brothers  or  sisters,  or 
it  may  be  little  children  seen  on  the  street.  It  may  be 
an  elderly  or  infirm  person.  This  class  of  people  is 
sometimes  treated  thoughtlessly,  especially  in  the 
snow-balling  season. 

Isaiah — the  children  may  know  the  name,  because 
of  the  book  about  him  in  our  Bible — thought  earnestly 

77 


78  CHILDREN   OF  THE    FATHER 

about  people  who  needed  help.  He  was  a  gentleman 
who  lived  in  the  king's  court  in  Jerusalem,  and  the 
king  was  fond  of  him;  but  Isaiah  saw  many  things 
which  made  him  angry.  He  could  not  endure  to  see 
rich  women  thinking  only  of  their  bracelets  and  ear- 
rings and  fine  clothes,  while  poor  mothers  worked  hard 
to  get  bread  for  their  little  fatherless  children. 

One  day,  when  Isaiah  was  in  the  temple,  he  had  a 
vision,  which  is  like  a  dream;  only  we  often  cannot 
remember  our  dreams  when  we  wake  in  the  morning. 
Visions  are  dreams  which  seem  real,  so  real  that  those 
who  see  them  never  forget.  Isaiah  wrote  down  this 
vision  of  his,  and  those  who  have  read  it  have  never 
forgotten  it  either.  This  is  what  he  wrote,  very  much 
as  it  is  printed  in  the  Bible. 

I  saw  the  Lord  sitting  upon  a  throne,  high  and  lifted 
up,  and  his  train  filled  the  temple.  Above  him  stood  the 
seraphim,  like  great  angels:  each  one  had  six  wings;  with 
two  he  covered  his  face,  and  with  two  he  covered  his  feet, 
and  with  two  he  did  fly.  And  one  cried  unto  another, 
and  said.  Holy,  holy,  holy,  is  the  Lord  of  Hosts:  the  whole 
earth  is  full  of  his  glory.  And  the  foundations  of  the 
thresholds  were  shaken  at  the  voice  of  him  that  cried,  and 
the  house  was  filled  with  smoke.  Then  said  I,  What  am 
I  to  do!  for  I  am  a  man  of  unclean  lips,  not  fit  to  speak 
God's  word,  and  I  live  in  the  midst  of  a  people  of  unclean 
lips:  and  mine  eyes  have  seen  the  King,  the  Lord  of 
Hosts.  Then  one  of  the  seraphim  fiew  unto  me,  having 
a  live  coal  in  his  hand,  which  he  had  taken  with  the  tongs 
from  off  the  altar:  and  he  touched  my  mouth  with  it,  and 
it  burned  not  the  fiesh;  and  he  said,  Lo,  this  hath  touched 
thy  lips;  and  thy  sin  is  purified.  And  I  heard  the  voice 
of  the  Lord  saying.  Whom  shall  I  send,  and  who  will  go 
{or  usf     Then  said  7,  Here  am  I;  send  me. 

{Adapted  from  Isaiah  6: 1-8,) 


CHILDREN   OF   PROPHECY  79 

Thus  Isaiah  was  sent  by  God  to  help  his  poor,  weak 
people.  His  very  name  "Isaiah"  means  "God  helps." 
And  when  we  read  about  it,  it  makes  us  wish  to  help,  too. 

To-day's  story  is  about  a  little  girl  who  was  poor, 
and  how  a  kind  man  made  her  happy. 

Cosette  and  the  **Lady*' 

Cosette  stood  in  front  of  the  toy  shop.  It  was 
evening  and  the  shop  was  brilliantly  lighted.  In  the 
window  was  an  enormous  doll,  two  feet  high,  dressed 
in  a  pink  crepe  gown.  It  had  real  hair  and  enamel 
eyes.  Cosette  had  never  had  a  doll,  so  she  looked  at 
this  one  with  wistful  eyes.     She  called  it  the  "lady." 

She  was  on  her  way  to  the  spring,  for  a  bucket  of 
water.  This  was  in  a  country  village  in  France,  and 
water  did  not  run  through  the  town  in  pipes.  The 
villagers  had  to  carry  their  water,  and  it  was  often 
hard  work.  Cosette  knew  it  would  be  hard.  Her 
bucket  was  heavy  when  it  was  full.  She  staggered 
under  the  weight  of  it,  and  had  to  rest  often.  But  a 
man  who  had  just  arrived  at  the  inn  must  have  water 
for  his  horse,  so  Cosette  had  to  leave  the  fascinating 
window  of  the  toy  shop,  and  hurry  to  the  spring. 

On  the  way  back,  when  it  seemed  to  her  as  if  she 
could  not  carry  the  heavy  bucket  another  step,  a 
strange  man  joined  her  and  took  the  bucket.  Cosette 
was  glad.  She  did  not  feel  at  all  afraid  of  the  stranger. 
She  understood  without  being  told  that  he  was  there 
to  help  her. 

They  went  together  to  the  inn.  It  was  the  only 
home  Cosette  knew,  although  the  inn-keeper  and  his 
wife  were  not  her  father  and  mother.  Her  mother  had 
been  a  poor  woman  who  had  to  work  for  a  living,  and 
she  had  left  Cosette  with  the  inn-keeper's  wife  to  be 


80  CHILDREN   OF  THE   FATHER 

taken  care  of.  She  sent  money  every  month  to  pay 
board  for  the  Httle  girl;  but  now,  the  mother  was  dead, 
and  Madame  Thenardier,  the  inn-keeper's  wife,  made 
Cosette  work  too  hard.  She  did  not  understand  that 
Httle  girls  should  not  work  all  day.  And  yet  she  had  two 
daughters  of  her  own,  not  much  older  than  Cosette, 
who  had  dolls  and  pretty  clothes.  Cosette,  indeed, 
was  very  much  like  Cinderella,  who  sat  in  the  cinders 
while  her  step-sisters  went  about  richly  dressed. 

The  stranger  went  home  with  Cosette,  and  asked 
to  spend  the  night  at  the  inn.  He  sat  quietly  in  a 
corner,  and  saw  how  she  wore  ragged  clothes  and  how 
Madame  Thenardier  did  not  care  whether  Cosette  was 
cold  or  not.  Her  own  little  girls  sat  by  the  fire,  in 
their  pretty  dresses,  and  played  with  their  doll.  But 
presently,  they  caught  up  the  kitten,  and  dressed  it 
in  the  doll's  clothes,  and  the  doll  fell  to  the  floor  un- 
noticed. 

Cosette  saw  the  doll.  She  watched  her  chance. 
Then,  when  she  thought  no  one  was  looking,  she  caught 
it  up,  and  rocked  it  in  her  arms.  She  turned  so  that  the 
doll  should  be  in  the  shadow,  but  the  joy  of  playing 
with  it  was  so  great,  that  she  did  not  notice  that  one 
pink  boot  was  in  the  Hght. 

Presently,  one  of  the  little  girls  caught  sight  of  this 
pink  boot.  She  ran  to  her  mother.  The  next  instant, 
poor  little  Cosette  was  ordered  to  put  down  the  doll. 

Cosette  laid  the  doll  on  the  floor  very  gently. 
Then  she  clasped  her  hands  tightly  and  burst  into 
tears. 

The  stranger  got  up  and  went  out.  A  few  minutes 
later,  he  came  back  with  the  doll  from  the  toy  shop 
across  the  street.  He  put  it  down  before  Cosette, 
saying, 

"Here,  this  is  for  you." 


CHILDREN    OF   PROPHECY  81 

"Is  it  true,  sir?"  said  Cosette,  "Is  the  lady  really 
mine?" 

The  man  nodded,  and  placed  the  "lady's"  little 
hand  in  hers.     Cosette  seized  the  doll  passionately. 

"I  will  call  her  Catherine,"  she  said. 

That  night,  she  went  off  to  bed,  carrying  the  doll 
in  her  arms. 

In  the  morning,  the  man  had  a  talk  with  the  inn- 
keeper. It  resulted  in  his  taking  away  Cosette.  For 
this  man  had  known  her  mother,  and  had  come  to  the 
town  in  search  of  her.  He  had  brought  a  warm  new 
dress  which  Cosette  put  on  in  place  of  the  ragged  one. 

Cosette  put  her  hand  into  that  of  the  kind  man  and 
they  left  the  inn  forever.  She  looked  happily  up  at 
the  sky,  and  in  her  other  arm,  she  carried  the  large  doll, 
the  "lady"  whom  she  had  named  Catherine. 

{Retold  from  ^^Les  Miserahles'^  hy  Victor  Hugo.) 


Memory  Verse 

I  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  saying,  Whom  shall  I 
send,  and  who  will  go  for  us?  Then  I  said,  Here  am  I; 
send  me. 

Isaiah  6:8. 


Expressional  Work 

The  memory  verse  is  too  long  to  be  colored  in  class, 
but  the  capital  may  be  decorated.  If  there  is  time, 
encourage  the  children  to  talk  about  what  they  can  do 
to  help  others.  Ask  them  to  think  about  it  during 
the  week,  and  be  ready  to  tell  you  next  Sunday  what 
new  ways  they  have  found. 


82  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

Home  Work 

If  the  children  are  skillful  enough,  they  may  color 
the  letters  of  the  text  at  home,  but  the  type  is  too 
small  for  the  younger  pupils.  Have  the  memory 
verse  repeated,  and  keep  in  the  children's  minds  what 
the  teacher  has  said  about  helping  others  who  are  weak. 


LESSON  15 
THE  BOY  JESUS  IN  THE  TEMPLE 

The  Purpose 

This  lesson  is  intended  to  come  during  the  Christmas 
season.  The  story  shows  that  Jesus  hkes  to  stay  in 
the  temple  because  he  feels  at  home  in  it — he  calls  it 
his  Father's  house — and  because  he  finds  there  an 
opportunity  to  learn,  to  satisfy  his  eager  curiosity. 
This  eagerness  to  listen  and  to  speak  concerning  what 
he  hears  places  him  among  the  Children  of  Prophecy. 
Finally,  he  obeys  his  parents,  is  "subject  unto  them''; 
but  this  phase  may  be  touched  lightly,  through  refer- 
ence to  the  several  other  lessons  on  obedience  which 
have  occurred  in  the  course. 

The  Approach 

Whose  birthday  do  we  celebrate  this  month?  Where 
was  Jesus  said  to  have  been  born?  Did  his  parents 
live  there?    Where  was  their  home? 

The  Boy  Jesus  in  the  Temple 

Nazareth  Hes  well  to  the  north  of  Bethlehem,  among 
the  hills.  There  Joseph  and  Mary  took  the  baby 
Jesus,  and  there  he  grew  up.  What  do  you  suppose 
a  little  boy  could  do  in  that  far-away  town,  so  many 
years  ago?  He  probably  played  out-of-doors  when- 
ever he  could,  for  the  houses  were  not  large.  There  is 
a  story  of  his  making  birds  out  of  clay.  He  must  have 
gone  fishing  with  the  other  boys.     I  am  sure  that  his 

83 


84  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

father  Joseph  told  him  many  stories,  Hke  those  I  have 
been  teUing  you,  of  Joseph  and  Moses  and  Samuel,  of 
Saul  and  David, — especially  of  David.  There  v^ere 
plenty  of  chances  for  Jesus  to  help  his  mother.  Water 
was  not  piped  into  the  houses  then,  and  Jesus  could 
help  very  much  by  filling  the  water-jar  at  the  fountain. 
When  he  was  old  enough,  he  helped  his  father,  too, 
in  the  carpenter-shop. 

We  do  not  know  where  Jesus  went  to  school,  but  he 
probably  was  taught  in  the  synagogue,  which  was  like 
a  church  on  the  Sabbath,  and  a  school-house  on  other 
days.  He  learned  how  to  read  and  write,  and  many 
things  he  learned  by  heart.     This  is  one  of  them: 

"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  might." 

He  had  been  taught  to  say  this  as  soon  as  he  could 
talk.  He  said  it  every  night  before  he  went  to  sleep 
and  every  morning  when  he  woke  up.  The  congre- 
gation recited  it  all  together  when  they  were  at  service 
in  the  synagogue.  You  can  see  that  all  his  life  long, 
Jesus  would  never  forget  it. 

Nazareth  was  a  small  town  where  nothing  exciting 
ever  happened,  but  once  a  year,  many  of  the  grown 
people  who  were  not  too  old  to  travel,  as  well  as  the 
children  who  were  more  than  twelve  years  old,  went  to 
Jerusalem  to  celebrate  the  feast  of  the  Passover.  For 
in  those  days  boys  did  not  have  to  wait  until  they  were 
twenty-one  to  be  declared  of  age.  To  Jesus  that 
twelfth  birthday  was  a  long  time  in  coming;  but  at 
last  he  could  go  with  his  parents  on  the  three-day 
journey  which  would  take  them  to  Jerusalem,  where 
the  great  temple  stood.  Jesus  thought  of  it  as  the 
house  of  God  whom  he  had  been  taught  to  love,  and 
he  could  hardly  wait  to  see  it ! 

That  was  before  the  days  of  steam  and  electricity. 


CHILDREN    OF   PROPHECY  85 

The  pilgrims  to  Jerusalem  travelled  on  foot,  or  rode 
on  camels  and  asses,  if  they  were  not  strong  enough  to 
walk.  As  they  travelled,  others  joined  them  until 
they  were  a  long  procession,  winding  among  the  hills 
and  across  the  plains.  On  the  third  day,  they  came 
within  sight  of  Jerusalem  and  its  shining  temple. 
Then  it  seemed  the  most  natural  and  right  thing  to 
Jesus  that  all  the  people  should  sing.  They  sang 
those  wonderful  songs  which  he  had  heard  in  the  syna- 
gogue at  Nazareth,  and  he  joined  in  them  with  a  full 
heart.  We  to-day  call  them  "Songs  of  Ascent, ''  be- 
cause ascent  means  going  up,  and  they  were  sung  by 
the  pilgrims  as  they  went  up  the  hill  toward  Jerusalem.* 

"I  will  lift  up  mine  eyes  unto  the  hills:  from  whence 
Cometh  my  help? 
My  help  cometh  from  the  Lord,  who  made  heaven 
and  earth." 

Can  any  of  you  tell  me  nwhere  that  song  is?  It  is  in 
our  Bible,  in  the  Book  of  Psalms,  where  many  of  these 
songs  are  written.  We  do  not  know  what  the  music 
was,  but  it  must  have  sounded  very  beautiful,  with 
so  many  voices,  all  glad  because  they  were  near 
Jerusalem. 

When  they  came  into  the  city,  it  must  have  seemed 
large  and  confusing  to  Jesus.  There  were  so  many 
strange  people  that  he  could  hardly  find  his  friends  in 
the  crowd.  He  hked  better  to  wander  about  the 
temple,  with  its  wide  courts  and  white  m.arble  colon- 
nades. There  he  found  a  group  of  wise  m.en,  and  he 
sat  down  near  by,  to  hear  what  they  were  saying.     He 

*  These  Psalms  are  numbers  120-134.  There  are  still  other  reasons 
for  calling  them  Psalms  of  Ascent.  The  ascent  referred  to  may  have 
been  that  from  Babylon  to  Jerusalem,  or  they  may  be  so  called  because 
of  their  elevation  of  thought.  That  mentioned  in  the  story  is  most 
easily  adapted  to  the  understanding  of  children. 


86  CHILDREN   OF  THE   FATHER 

found  that  they  were  talking  about  all  sorts  of  things 
he  wanted  to  know,  things  he  could  not  learn  about 
at  home;  and  since  they  did  not  mind,  he  came  nearer 
yet,  even  asking  questions  of  his  own,  and  finding  he 
could  answer  theirs  in  such  a  way  that  they  Uked  to 
listen  to  him. 

And  then, — do  you  know  this  story?  Do  you  re- 
member what  happened?  Yes,  Jesus  was  so  interested 
in  talking  with  these  wise  men  that  he  forgot  to  go 
home!  It  was  the  last  day  in  Jerusalem,  and  the 
pilgrims  started  on  their  homeward  journey.  Joseph 
and  Mary  supposed  Jesus  was  with  some  friend.  You 
see  he  must  have  been  a  reliable  boy,  who  could  take 
chre  of  himself,  or  they  would  not  have  travelled  all 
day  without  looking  for  him.  Then,  as  you  remember, 
taey  went  back  to  seek  for  him  in  the  great  city,  and 
they  were  very  much  worried.  I  wonder  what  Jesus 
must  have  thought  when  he  found  that  he  had  been 
left  behind.  There  were  doubtless  kind  people  in 
the  city  who  would  care  for  him  that  night,  and  the 
next  morning  he  went  back  to  the  temple,  thinking 
that  his  father  and  mother  would  come  there  to  look 
for  him.  While  he  waited,  he  again  listened  eagerly 
to  the  talk  of  the  wise  men,  again  he  asked  questions 
and  answered  theirs.  The  time  seemed  short  before 
he  saw  Joseph  and  Mary  coming  toward  him. 

" Child, '^  said  Mary,  anxiously,  "why  hast  thou 
thus  dealt  with  us?  Behold,  thy  father  and  I  sought 
thee  sorrowing. '^ 

Jesus  looked  surprised.  He  had  supposed  that  they 
would  find  him  at  once. 

"How  is  it  that  ye  sought  me?"  he  asked,  "did  ye 
not  know  that  I  must  be  in  my  Father's  house?'' 

But  he  went  with  them  at  once,  and  they  returned 
to  Nazareth.     There  he  helped  them  as  he  had  before, 


CHILDREN    OF   PROPHECY  87 

drawing  water  for  his  mother,  and  working  in  the 
carpenter-shop  with  Joseph.  And  every  morning 
when  he  awoke,  and  every  night  before  he  slept,  he 
said  these  words: 

'Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  might." 

Look  on  your  sheets  for  to-day  and  see  what  is 
printed  there.  How  is  it  different  from  what  Jesus 
learned  when  he  was  a  boy? 

Memory  Verse 

Thou  Shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart, 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind. 

Matthew  22 :37. 

(Have  the  pupils  point  out  the  difference.)  We  shall 
learn  it  this  way,  because  Jesus  is  reported  to  have  said 
it  to  a  lawyer  in  the  temple,  many  years  after  his  first 
visit.  He  called  it  the  "great  and  first  command- 
ment." 

Application 

Where  do  you  think  Jesus  learned  the  verse  in  the 
first  place?  (Probably  his  parents  taught  him,  but 
let  the  class  answer.)  Can  we  learn  everything  at  home? 
Where  else  do  we  go?  What  do  we  have  to-day  which 
is  Hke  the  temple?  Yes,  the  church.  Who  are  the 
scholars,  or  doctors  in  our  churches?  Those  who 
know  more  than  we  do,  like  the  minister  and  the 
teachers.  Every  class  may  be  a  little  group  like  Jesus 
and  the  scholars  in  the  temple;  we  may  all  talk  over 
the  things  we  wish  to  learn  about,  and  we  may  all  ask 
questions,  pupils  as  well  as  teachers.  Next  Sunday, 
I  wish  every  one  of  you  might  have  a  question  about 


88  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

this  lesson  to  ask  the  rest  of  the  class.  (It  might  be 
possible  to  make  a  permanent  feature  of  this;  some 
classes  have  a  question  box,  into  which  the  children 
put  their  questions,  written  on  slips  of  paper  for  the 
teacher's  consideration.  Then  they  are  drawn  out  by 
the  pupils  and  answered  by  the  class.  The  success  of 
such  a  plan  depends  upon  the  maturity  of  the  pupils. 
In  any  case,  encourage  the  asking  of  questions,  whether 
they  are  written  or  not.) 

Expressional  Work 

The  print  from  Hofmann's  picture  is  to  be  pasted 
into  the  frame,  which  the  pupil  may  color. 

Home  Work 

The  account  in  Luke  2:  41-51  may  be  read  with  the 
parents.  Explain  that  the  phrase  "was  subject  unto 
them''  means  that  he  obeyed  his  parents.  Encourage 
the  bringing  in  of  questions,  and  have  the  text  mem- 
orized before  the  following  Sunday. 


LESSON  16 
JOHN  THE  BAPTIST 

Review  of  the  Previous  Lesson 

This  includes  a  recitation  of  the  memory  verse — 
"the  great  and  first  commandment'^ — and  a  few 
minutes  of  conversation  about  the  Bible  story  of  Jesus 
in  the  temple.  How  many  have  read  it?  Who  can 
tell  the  story?  If  the  hand-work  has  been  finished  at 
home,  ask  to  see  it. 

The  Purpose  of  To-Day 's  Lesson 

John  the  Baptist  is  shown  as  one  who  delivers  his 
message  without  fear  of  consequences.  He  was  not  a 
soother  of  consciences;  he  did  not  think  of  having  his 
message  accepted  because  of  the  charm  of  his  person- 
ality. He  did  not  even  care  if  people  laughed  at  him; 
or  if  he  did  care,  he  let  no  one  know,  but  went  on  telling 
the  truth  as  he  saw  it.  Children  are  so  sensitive  to 
ridicule  that  they  will  surely  appreciate  John's  courage 
in  this  respect,  although  full  appreciation  of  his  fearless- 
ness may  come  only  with  maturity. 

The  Approach 

Were  you  ever  afraid  to  tell  the  truth?  Did  you 
ever  feel  that  you  ought  to  tell  it,  but  that  other,  chil- 
dren would  make  fun  of  you,  if  you  did?  (If  the  class 
is  ready  with  personal  experiences,  so  much  the  better; 
but  if  they  do  not  remember  readily,  or  are  unwilling 
to  tell,  supply  some  httle  modern  incident  which  will 


90  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

serve  as  an  introduction  to  the  story  of  John  the 
Baptist.) 

The  Fearlessness  of  John  the  Baptist 

Do  you  remember  the  story  of  the  birth  of  John  the 
Baptist,  and  how  glad  his  father  and  mother  were  to 
have  him?  I  feel  sure  that  when  he  was  old  enough  to 
listen,  his  father  told  him  many  interesting  stories,  of 
Saul  the  first  king  of  Israel,  and  of  David  the  shepherd 
boy  who  also  became  king.  But  of  all  the  stories,  the 
one  which  John  liked  best  was  that  of  Elijah  the 
prophet.  He  thought  that  he  would  like  himself  to 
live  out  of  doors  all  the  time,  to  wander  over  mountains 
and  beside  little  brooks  and  to  sleep  in  caves.  How 
wonderful  it  would  be  to  preach  as  Elijah  did  and  to 
have  even  kings  obey  you! 

John's  father  also  told  him  another  story  which  he 
never  forgot,  of  how  their  dearly  loved  country,  once 
free  and  ruled  by  such  kings  as  David,  was  now  subject 
to  a  foreign  people,  the  hated  Romans.  This  was 
shameful;  but  John's  father  and  all  his  neighbors  be- 
lieved that  some  day  God  would  send  a  king  who 
would  be  a  descendant  of  David  himself  and  who 
would  drive  out  the  Romans  and  make  their  country 
free  once  more.  John  thought  of  this  often,  and 
hoped  the  king  would  come  soon. 

When  John  grew  older,  he  decided  that  he  must  go 
into  the  country  as  EHjah  had  done,  so  that  he  could 
think  better,  and  perhaps  learn  how  to  talk  to  the 
people  as  powerfully  as  Elijah  could.  He  said  good-by 
to  his  father  and  mother  with  a  lump  in  his  throat,  for 
he  did  not  know  when  he  should  see  them  again.  They 
went  with  him  to  the  edge  of  the  village  and  watched 
him  out  of  sight. 

John  went  on  and  on  until  he  could  not  see  so  much 


CHILDREN   OF   PROPHECY  91 

as  a  shepherd's  hut,  even  from  the  hill-tops.  He  en- 
joyed living  out  of  doors  just  as  he  had  believed  he 
would.  He  liked  the  wild  honey  which  the  bees  had 
stored  away  in  the  rocks;  he  Hked  to  hear  the  wind 
tearing  through  the  roughened  tops  of  the  pine  trees; 
he  liked  seeing  the  sky  grow  dark  with  scudding  clouds 
which  opened  here  and  there  to  let  through  long,  sliding 
rays  of  light.  All  that  was  stern  and  wild  dehghted 
him  more  than  the  blue  skies  and  green  meadows. 
Sometimes,  in  the  midst  of  jutting  rocks,  he  would 
hsten  for  the  still,  small  voice  which  Ehjah  heard  out- 
side the  cave;  and  he  heard  it  often  and  knew  that  he 
must  carry  its  message  back  to  the  people, 

"Repent  ye ;  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand." 
What  did  this  mean?  The  kingdom  would  come, 
the  new  kingdom  for  which  he  had  hoped;  but  it  would 
be  a  kingdom  in  which  people  must  obey  the  laws  of 
God,  speak  the  truth  without  fear,  be  kind  to  one 
another.  And  now,  many  people  were  not  doing  these 
things.  The  rich  were  not  kind  to  the  poor.  The 
laws  of  God  were  broken  every  day.  As  for  himself, 
he  knew  that  he  at  least  must  not  be  afraid  to  go  back 
to  towns  and  cities,  and  to  speak  the  truth  as  he  be- 
lieved it,  no  matter  whether  people  hked  it  or  not. 

He  followed  the  httle  brook  beside  him  until  it 
joined  the  river  Jordan,  and  he  came  to  a  place  where 
there  were  people.  They  were  astonished  people,  too, 
when  they  saw  this  young  man  in  a  shirt  of  camel's 
hair  with  a  leather  belt.  He  was  standing  on  a  httle 
mound  by  the  river,  and  saying  something  in  a  deep 
and  powerful  voice.  They  drew  nearer  to  find  out  what 
it  was.     Others  came  and  still  others. 

"Repent  ye;  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand." 
Then  John  told  the  people  why  they  needed  to 
repent  of  the  wrong  things  they  were  doing  every  day; 


92  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

and  although  there  were  rich  men  there  who  had  power 
to  arrest  him,  and  there  were  others  who  laughed  at 
his  simple  clothes,  his  strong  voice  never  faltered.  He 
would  speak  the  truth  without  fear. 

He  was  glad  that  he  did,  for  all  the  people  did  not 
laugh.  Many  listened  to  what  he  was  saying,  and 
after  he  stopped,  they  came  up  to  say  that  they  were 
sorry  for  all  the  wrong  things  they  had  done,  that  they 
did  repent;  and  they  went  down  into  the  river  with 
John  to  be  baptized  as  a  sign  that  they  would  lead 
clean  lives  hereafter. 

So  John  went  on  preaching  and  urging  people  to 
get  ready  for  the  kingdom.  And  one  day,  a  young  man 
about  his  own  age  came  up  and  asked  to  be  baptized. 
Can  any  of  you  think  who  this  might  be?  Yes,  it  was 
Jesus,  who  had  heard  of  John's  wonderful  preaching, 
and  had  come  to  listen.  Jesus  asked  to  be  baptized, 
so  they  went  down  into  the  river  together.  After  that, 
John  was  even  more  glad  that  he  had  spoken  God's 
word  as  he  had  heard  it,  for  he  believed  that  this  young 
man  would  also  speak  the  truth  fearlessly  and  with 
great  power;  and  that  he  would  help  bring  in  the  king- 
dom of  heaven. 


Ezpressional  Work 

Show  the  children  the  picture,  "John  the  Baptist'* 
by  Andrea  del  Sarto.  Tell  them  that  it  is  not  a  por- 
trait; nobody  knows  exactly  how  he  looked:  but  we 
like  to  remember  this  picture  because  it  looks  like  a  boy 
who  would  be  brave,  and  not  afraid  to  tell  the  truth. 

The  picture  is  to  be  pasted  into  the  frame,  which 
may  be  colored  either  in  class  or  at  home. 


CHILDREN    OF   PROPHECY  93 

Home  Work 

Of  the  Bible  references  to  John  the  Baptist,  the 
safest  for  children  is  the  account  in  the  Gospel  of  Mark, 
the  first  chapter,  beginning  with  the  fourth  verse  and 
ending  with  the  eighth.  It  is  undesirable  to  confuse 
the  child's  mind  with  Messianic  imagery,  John's  vio- 
lent denunciations  of  the  Pharisees,  or  the  symbol  of 
the  dove  at  the  baptism  of  Jesus. 

Any  unfinished  hand-work  can  be  completed  as 
usual.  This  is  a  favorable  time  for  calling  attention 
to  the  possible  relationship  between  Jesus  and  John. 
Although  the  statement  that  they  were  cousins  is  not 
very  authentic,  they  appear  together  as  infants  in  many 
of  the  most  famous  paintings  with  which  our  children 
are  apt  to  be  familiar,  such  as  the  "Madonna  of  the 
Chair"  and  "La  Belle  Jardiniere,"  both  by  Raphael, 
and  the  "Holy  Families"  of  Titian. 


LESSON  17 
ON  THE  ROAD  TO  DAMASCUS 

The  Purpose 

The  conversion  of  the  apostle  Paul  is  one  of  the  most 
famous  instances  of  direct  inspiration  in  the  history  of 
religion ;  it  is  also  marvellous  enough  to  appeal  especially 
to  children.  The  prophetic  group  of  lessons  would  not 
be  complete  without  it.  Like  the  story  of  John  the 
Baptist,  it  teaches  a  lesson  in  courage.  Paul  must 
have  been  highly  thought  of  among  the  ruling  classes 
at  Jerusalem,  all  the  more  for  his  conspicuous  zeal  in 
persecuting  the  followers  of  Jesus.  He  was  equally 
feared  by  the  disciples.  All  at  once,  he  faces  about, 
leaves  the  people  whom  he  had  found  friendly  and  allies 
himself  with  those  who  distrust  and  fear  him.  What- 
ever we  may  beheve  about  the  physical  possibilities 
of  his  vision,  there  cannot  be  the  least  doubt  that  the 
call  was  imperative  to  have  turned  Paul  from  such 
earnest  convictions.  He  is  one  of  the  greatest  among 
the  Children  of  Prophecy, — that  is,  those  who  hear 
clearly  the  word  of  God  and  act  upon  it. 

The  Approach     • 

Recall  the  death  of  Jesus,  not  in  detail,  but  as  a  fact. 
If  the  class  has  had  the  preceding  book  in  this  course, 
^'Living  Together/'  refer  to  the  lesson  ^^  How  Jesus  Gave 
Himself,"  and  also  to  ''The  Heahng  of  the  Cripple  at 
the  Gate  Beautiful." 

Picture  the  friends  of  Jesus  going  about  Jerusalem 

94 


CHILDREN   OF   PROPHECY  95 

and  telling  others  how  good  he  was,  how  much  they 
had  loved  him,  how  he  had  said  that  people  should  live. 
But  there  were  many  in  the  city  who  had  not  known 
Jesus.  They  thought  he  was  a  dangerous  man  who 
deserved  to  die.  They  tried  to  stop  all  this  talk,  but 
the  disciples  went  on  talking  more  than  ever.  At 
last,  the  rulers  arrested  a  man  named  Stephen,  be- 
cause so  many  Hstened  to  him  and  were  beginnmg  to 
believe  in  Jesus  as  he  did.  Stephen  was  a  brave  man 
and  said  such  fearless  things  at  the  trial  that  the  Jews 
took  him  out  and  stoned  him  to  death.  It  was  a 
terrible  thing  to  do,  and  it  frightened  some  of  the 
disciples  so  that  they  left  Jerusalem  and  went  to  other 
cities  where  they  hoped  they  might  be  safe.  Those 
who  stayed  were  hunted  down  by  the  Jews  and  dragged 
to  prison.     Our  story  to-day  is  about  one  of  these  Jews. 

On  the  Road  to  Damascus 

Saul — not  the  king!  that  was  many  years  before 
Jesus  lived — had  come  to  Jerusalem  to  study  law. 
He  studied  hard  until  he  knew  the  law  well.  Daily 
he  went  to  the  temple.  Like  the  boy  Jesus,  he  hstened 
to  the  disputes  of  the  wise  doctors.  And  while  Saul 
was  studying  and  hstening,  Jesus,  the  young  teacher, 
was  put  to  death  on  a  hill  just  outside  the  city. 

Saul  beheved  that  it  was  right  that  Jesus  should 
be  put  to  death.  He  knew  nothing  of  him  except 
what  he  had  heard  the  Jews  say.  When  the  disciples 
began  to  appear  on  street  corners  and  say  that  Jesus 
was  the  greatest  of  teachers  and  the  Son  of  God  as  well, 
Saul  was  in  a  temper  over  it.  Did  he  not  know  who 
were  the  great  teachers,  he  who  had  studied  the  law? 
When  Stephen  was  stoned  to  death,  the  men  who  did 
the  deed  laid  their  garments  at  Saul's  feet,  and  he 


96  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

guarded  them  as  well  as  he  could  for  his  interest  in 
the  stoning.  Afterward,  Saul  began  to  search  out 
disciples  himself.  He  hunted  so  hard  and  dragged  so 
many  disciples  to  prison  that  the  Jews  praised  him  and 
thought  him  a  brave  fellow  and  one  who  would  be  a 
lawyer  of  note.  Perhaps  he  himself  would  be  among 
the  doctors  in  the  temple  some  day. 

Saul  was  so  pleased  with  his  success  that  he  was 
eager  to  follow  those  disciples  who  had  left  Jerusalem 
for  other  cities.  He  went  to  the  high  priest  and  begged 
him  to  send  him  to  Damascus,  so  that  if  he  found  any- 
one there,  man  or  woman,  who  believed  in  Jesus,  he 
might  bring  him  bound  to  Jerusalem.  The  priest  gave 
him  letters  giving  him  the  right  to  make  arrests,  and 
Saul  started  in  high  spirits. 

But  when  they  had  come  near  to  Damascus,  suddenly 
there  shone  round  about  Saul  a  light  out  of  heaven: 
and  he  fell  upon  the  earth,  and  heard  a  voice  say- 
ing, 

'^Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me?  It  is  hard 
for  thee  to  kick  against  the  goad." 

"Who  art  thou.  Lord?"  said  Saul, 

And  the  voice  said, 

"I  am  Jesus  whom  thou  persecutest:  but  rise,  and 
enter  into  the  city,  and  it  shall  be  told  thee  what  thou 
must  do." 

The  men  who  were  travelling  with  Saul  stood  speech- 
less, hearing  the  voice  but  seeing  no  one.  Saul  stood 
up,  but  he  could  not  see;  so  they  took  him  by  the  hand 
and  led  him  to  Damascus. 

For  three  days,  Saul  could  see  nothing;  but  on  the 
third,  there  came  to  him  one  of  the  followers  of  Jesus, 
called  Ananias.     This  man  said, 

"Brother  Saul,  the  Master,  Jesus  himself,  who  ap- 
peared unto  thee  on  thy  way  hither,  hath  sent  me 


CHILDREN    OF   PROPHECY  97 

that  thou  mayest  receive  thy  sight  and  be  baptized 
in  his  name." 

All  at  once,  the  bhndness  went  from  Saul;  and  he 
arose  and  was  baptized. 

At  first  it  was  hard  for  the  disciples  to  believe  that 
Saul  was  their  friend.  They  knew  what  he  had  done 
at  Jerusalem,  they  knew  why  he  had  come  to  Damas- 
cus; and  they  were  afraid.  But  Saul,  who  had  studied 
and  could  speak  so  that  men  must  listen,  v/ent  into  the 
synagogues  and  preached  about  Jesus  so  earnestly  that 
the  number  of  Jesus'  followers  increased  mightily,  and 
the  disciples  were  glad  to  receive  Saul  as  one  of  them. 

The  Jews  at  Damascus  were  greatly  astonished. 
They  too  knew  why  Saul  had  come,  and  they  looked 
to  see  him  arrest  many  of  the  men  and  women  who 
called  upon  the  name  of  Jesus.  Now  he  had  turned 
upon  the  authorities  and  become  the  most  dangerous 
of  the  disciples.  The  Jews  were  angry  and  alarmed. 
They  must  get  Saul  out  of  the  way  at  once  before  any 
more  people  heard  him;  so  they  plotted  together  to 
kill  him.  They  watched  the  gates  of  the  city  night 
and  day  to  prevent  his  getting  out. 

But  one  dark  night,  the  disciples  let  Saul  down  from 
the  wall  in  a  basket,  and  he  got  away  safely. 

From  that  day  until  he  died,  Saul  was  loyal  to  the 
cause  of  Jesus.  We  know  him  as  the  apostle  Paul, 
and  we  respect  him  the  more  because  he  turned  from 
the  mistakes  he  made  at  first  as  soon  as  he  knew  they 
were  mistakes. 

(Adapted  from  Acts  8:  US;  9:  1-25.) 

Expressional  Work 

Compare  Saul  with  John  the  Baptist.  Let  the  chil- 
dren say  in  what  ways  they  were  alike. 


98  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

The  Bible  passage  telling  of  Saul's  conversion  is  so 
famous  that  it  is  printed  on  a  leaf  of  the  note-book  for 
a  reading  lesson. 

Home  Work 

Read  again  with  the  children  the  story  of  Saul's 
conversion,  which  is  told  in  Acts  9:  1-22;  22:  1-21; 
26:  9-21.  Be  sure  that  there  is  no  confusion  in  their 
minds  between  Saul  of  Tarsus  and  Saul  the  king, 
anointed  by  Samuel.  Tell  them  that  the  Saul  of 
this  story  we  know  better  by  his  other  name,  Paul. 


PART  III 
CHILDREN  OF  GOD'S  PEOPLE 

THEME 

I  will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people. 

II  Corinthians  6:17. 


CHILDREN  OF  GOD'S  PEOPLE 

The  Purpose  of  the  Group 

The  theme  of  this  group  is  the  reaching  of  nations 
up  to  their  Father,  God.  It  is  developed  through 
stories  of  certain  "children''  whose  loyalty  to  their 
people  has  been  especially  marked  by  the  reUgious 
quality. 

^'How/'  I  hear  some  one  ask,  "can  we  present  an 
ideal  of  such  magnitude  to  young  children,  whose 
world  is  limited  to  their  own  little  circle  of  life?"  Yet 
even  children  of  eight  have  a  craving  for  magnitude, 
for  greatness  of  any  sort.  They  are  scornful  of  little- 
ness. They  doubtless  must  think  of  their  country 
as  a  more  thrilling  expression  of  themselves;  their 
loyalty  is  not  yet  self-sacrificing.  But  it  is  time  to 
satisfy  their  hunger  for  unlimited  power  with  stories 
of  true  national  heroism. 

In  selecting  lessons  from  this  group,  "Josiah  the 
King"  is  especially  valuable  for  its  ethics,  and  the 
story  of  Daniel  for  its  dramatic  power.  The  last  two 
lessons  should  be  given  in  any  case.  The  teacher  may 
choose  others  as  she  wishes. 


100 


LESSON  18 

THE  CHAMPION  OF  THE  LIVING  GOD 

The  Purpose 

The  familiar  story  of  David  and  Goliath  is  used  here 
to  show  what  it  may  mean  to  a  child  to  think  of  his 
people  as  "the  armies  of  the  living  God/'  To  David, 
the  enemies  of  Israel  are  also  God's  enemies.  There 
IS  no  course  left  for  him  but  to  fight  the  giant,  whom 
he  sees  as  the  champion  of  evil.  David  also  learns 
that  he  must  fight  Gohath  with  his  own  weapons,  not 
with  Kmg  Saul's.  God  will  give  us  the  victory  if  we 
fight  for  him  each  in  our  own  way. 

The  Approach 

There  is  probably  no  child  of  eight  years  who  has 
not  heard  this  story.  The  telling  of  it  is  likely  to  be  a 
review,  the  class  supplying  the  main  incidents.  But 
the  teacher  must  guide  the  pupils  so  that  the  events 
of  the  narrative  come  in  logical  order,  and  she  must 
emphasize  whatever  is  necessary  to  carry  out  her 
purpose. 

The  Bible  account  is  found  in  I  Samuel  16:  11-13, 
17:  1-52.  The  interpretation  of  the  story  is  not 
offered  as  a  substitute;  its  only  intention  is  to  help  the 
teacher  to  read  between  the  lines. 

Ask  the  children  how  many  remember  how  Samuel 
met  David.  Why  did  Samuel  select  him  as  one  who 
should  one  day  be  king  of  Israel?  What  did  David 
do,  after  Samuel  left  him?  (Describe  his  life  in  the 
sheep  pasture  and  his  feeling  of  the  nearness  of  God  ) 

101 


102  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

What  did  David's  older  brothers  do?  Why  was 
David  sent  to  the  army?  What  did  he  see  there? 
From  this  point,  the  pupils  can  probably  tell  the  story 
without  much  help;  but  emphasis  should  be  placed 
upon  David's  reason  for  fighting — his  splendid  courage 
in  behalf  of  the  God  whom  he  has  always  found  so 
near— and  upon  his  unsuccessful  attempt  to  wear 
armor.     After  all,  the  sling  and  stone  were  better. 

The  Champion  of  the  Living"  God 

David,  the  son  of  Jesse  the  Bethlehemite,  kept  his 
father's  sheep.  This  being  his  lot,  as  youngest  son, 
he  dreamed  of  great  deeds  and  thought  wistfully  of 
his  brothers  in  the  camp  of  King  Saul.  They,  at 
least,  were  serving  their  country  and  their  people, 
Israel.  David  thought  also  of  a  v^onderful  experience 
in  his  own  life.  He  had  been  called  from  the  sheep 
pasture  to  meet  the  prophet  Samuel,  who  had  come  to 
Bethlehem  and  had  asked,  David  knew  not  why,  to 
see  all  the  sons  of  Jesse,  even  the  youngest.  Samuel 
had  poured  fragrant  oil  on  the  boy's  head  as  if  he  were 
a  king's  son  instead  of  a  poor  shepherd,  and  then  they 
looked  into  each  other's  eyes  for  a  moment,  very  steadily 
and  deeply.  After  that,  David  thought  more  often 
of  God,  not  as  a  far  off  being,  of  whom  one  might  be 
afraid,  but  as  some  one  near,  like  his  father;  only  God 
was  so  great  that  he  cared  for  all  Israel,  as  his  father 
Jesse  cared  for  him. 

It  made  him  happy  to  think  that  God  was  so  near. 
He  wished  to  be  helping  King  Saul  in  the  army  where 
his  brothers  were.  Even  here  in  the  pasture,  God  could 
help  David.  And  there  were  times  when  he  needed 
help.  He  was  only  a  boy,  and  there  were  lions  about 
and   bears   which   sometimes   came   after   the   sheep. 


CHILDREN    OF   GOD's    PEOPLE  103 

He  had  a  stout  staff  or  club,  and  when  he  felt  that  God 
was  helping  him,  he  could  do  anything  with  it.  The 
tiniest  lambs  in  the  flock  knevr  that  they  were  safe. 

A  day  came  when  Jesse  told  his  son  to  find  another 
keeper  for  the  flock  and  go  himself  to  the  army.  Jesse 
was  anxious  about  his  older  sons,  so  he  sent  David  to 
them  with  ten  loaves  of  bread  and  a  present  of  cheeses 
for  their  captain;  but  most  of  all,  he  was  to  see  if  his 
brothers  were  well,  and  then  come  back  and  tell  his 
father. 

David  rose  early  the  next  morning,  and  went  to  the 
camp  as  his  father  had  commanded  him.  He  came 
up  just  in  time  to  see  the  armies  on  each  side  drawing 
up  for  battle,  which  they  did  with  much  shouting,  as 
if  they  would  rush  upon  each  other  on  the  instant. 
Little  shivers  of  excitement  ran  up  and  down  David's 
spine.  Leaving  his  sack  of  bread  and  cheese  with  the 
keeper  of  the  baggage,  he  ran  to  the  army  to  find  his 
brothers  and  see  what  was  going  to  happen. 

David  found  them  without  trouble,  but  was  dis- 
appointed to  see  that  after  all  that  shouting,  nothing 
at  all  was  happening.  The  two  armies  looked  as  if 
they  intended  to  spend  the  day  watching  each  other. 
Only,  from  the  Philistines'  side,  there  came  out  a  very 
tall  soldier,  who  called  for  some  one  of  the  Israelites  to 
fight  with  him: 

"Choose  ye  a  man  that  we  may  fight  together.  If 
he  be  able  to  fight  with  me  and  kill  me,  then  will  we  be 
your  servants;  but  if  I  kill  him,  then  shall  ye  be  our 
servants.  I  defy  the  armies  of  Israel  this  day;  give  me 
a  man,  that  we  may  fight  together." 

David  looked  to  see  who  would  go.  He  expected  to 
see  a  dozen  men,  at  least,  rush  forward.  But  nobody 
stirred,  except  those  who  were  so  frightened  that  they 
turned  and  ran  the  other  way. 


104  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

You  are  probably  thinking  that  the  Israehtes  were 
great  cowards,  but  if  you  could  have  seen  this  Philistine 
you  would  not  have  wondered  that  the  men  were 
frightened,  for  in  very  truth  he  was  the  tallest  man  who 
ever  wore  armor.  He  seemed  to  David  to  be  about 
ten  feet  high,  and  as  if  that  were  not  enough,  he  w^ore 
a  brass  helmet  which  added  several  inches  more.  His 
great  clumsy  body  was  covered  by  a  coat  of  mail  with 
a  broad  target  of  brass  between  the  shoulders,  and 
there  were  brass  plates  fitted  on  to  his  stout  legs.  As 
for  his  spear,  no  ordinary  man  could  have  lifted  it. 
Altogether,  this  champion  of  the  Philistines  felt  safe 
enough,  for  he  could  have  crushed  any  one  of  the 
Israelites  without  the  least  trouble. 

David  heard  soldiers  near  by  talking  excitedly  about 
the  giant.     He  ran  up  to  them. 

"Who  is  this  Philistine,"  said  David,  "that  he 
should  defy  the  armies  of  the  living  God?" 

The  soldiers  told  him  that  his  name  was  Goliath  of 
Gath.  David  went  to  others,  and  yet  others,  to  learn 
all  he  could  about  the  giant  until  word  was  sent  to 
Saul  the  King  that  a  brave  young  man  had  come,  who 
might  fight  GoHath.  Saul  sent  for  him  at  once,  hoping 
that  here  was  a  champion  at  last;  but  when  he  saw 
David,  he  was  sorely  disappointed.  But  David  looked 
straight  at  the  king,  and  said, 

"Let  no  one  be  afraid.  I  will  go  and  fight  with  this 
Philistine." 

"Thou  canst  not!"  exclaimed  Saul.  "Thou  art  but 
a  youth,  and  he  a  man  of  war  always." 

Then  David  said, 

"Thy  servant  kept  his  father's  sheep:  and  when 
there  came  a  lion  or  a  bear,  and  took  a  lamb  out  of  the 
flock,  I  ran  after  him  and  struck  him  and  saved  it  out 
of  his  mouth;  and  when  he  turned  upon  me,  I  struck 


CHILDKEN   OF   GOD's   PEOPLE  105 

him  again  and  killed  him.  Thy  servant  overcame  both 
the  Hon  and  the  bear:  and  this  Philistine  shall  be  as 
one  of  them  since  he  hath  defied  the  armies  of  the 
living  God!  God,  who  saved  me  from  the  paw  of  the 
lion  and  the  paw  of  the  bear,  will  also  save  me  from  the 
hand  of  this  Phihstine." 

Saul  bowed  his  head. 

''Go,"  he  said,  "and  God  be  with  thee." 

How  David's  eyes  must  have  shone  when  he  saw  the 
beautiful  suit  of  armor  which  Saul  had  brought  for  him. 
It  was  the  king's  own.  With  Saul's  help,  he  put  on 
the  coat  of  mail  and  the  brass  helmet,  and  girding  on  the 
sword,  started  to  go.  But  before  he  reached  the  tent- 
door,  he  found  that  instead  of  being  an  active  boy,  with 
free  arms  and  limbs,  he  was  like  a  man  in  a  cage.  He 
had  to  turn  back  and  take  off  the  splendid  armor,  to 
the  surprise  of  the  king.  The  men  were  still  more 
surprised  to  see  David  go  to  the  dry  bed  of  a  brook  and 
select  five  smooth  stones,  which  he  put  in  his  shepherd's 
bag.  But  David  knew  now  that  he  must  fight  Gohath 
in  his  own  way  and  with  his  own  weapons.  Taking 
only  these  stones,  with  his  shng  and  staff,  he  went  out 
to  meet  the  giant. 

When  Goliath  saw  a  boy  coming  out  as  champion 
of  the  Israelites,  he  was  very  angry.  He  thought  he 
was  being  laughed  at. 

"Am  I  a  dog,  that  thou  comest  to  me  with  sticks?" 
he  cried.  "Come  on,  and  I  will  give  thy  flesh  to  the 
fowls  of  the  air  and  the  beasts  of  the  field." 

And  David  called  back,  as  loud  as  he  could, 

"Thou  comest  to  me  with  sword  and  spear,  but  I 
come  to  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  of  hosts,  the 
God  of  the  armies  of  Israel  whom  thou  hast  defied. 
To-day  will  God  give  me  the  victory  over  thee;  and 
I  shall  give  the  bodies  of  the  Philistines  to  the  fowls 


106  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

of  the  air  and  the  beasts  of  the  field ;  that  all  the  world 
may  know  that  God  is  with  Israel,  and  that  God  doth 
not  save  with  sword  and  spear;  for  the  battle  is  his  and 
he  will  give  us  the  victory." 

Then  David  ran  again  towards  Goliath;  and  when  he 
was  near  enough,  he  took  from  his  bag  one  of  the  smooth 
stones,  put  it  in  his  sling,  and  aimed  so  truly  that  the 
stone  hit  Goliath  hard  on  the  forehead  and  he  fell  on 
his  face  to  the  earth.  Again  David  ran,  and  seizing 
the  giant's  great  sword,  cut  off  his  head  and  held  it 
up  where  both  armies  could  see  it. 

The  end  had  come  so  quickly,  that  for  a  moment 
both  Israelites  and  Philistines  stood  in  a  death-like 
silence,  their  eyes  fixed  on  David.  There  he  stood  in 
the  sunshine,  the  saviour  of  Israel.  Then  he  remem- 
bered who  had  helped  him.  He  fell  on  his  knees,  and 
covered  his  face. 

Expressional  Work 

Talk  with  the  class  about  the  story.  Why  did 
David  feel  that  it  was  his  place  to  fight  the  giant? 
Why  was  he  so  much  more  brave  than  the  soldiers  in 
SauFs  army?  Why  didn't  he  wear  the  armor  which 
Saul  gave  him? 

A  print  of  Michel  Angelo's  David  is  furnished  for 
the  hand-work. 

Home  Work 

Psalm  24  is  valuable  in  this  connection.  Lead  the 
children  to  see  that  David's  purity  made  him  worthy  to 
be  God's  champion. 


LESSON  19 
JOSIAH  THE  KING 

The  Purpose 

"He  did  that  which  was  right  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord 
and  walked  in  the  ways  of  David  his  father,  and  turned 
not  aside  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left.'^ 

"Josiah  .  .  .  made  all  that  were  found  in  Israel  to 
serve,  even  to  serve  the  Lord  their  God.  All  his  days 
they  departed  not  from  following  the  Lord,  the  God 
of  their  fathers." 

"And  like  unto  him  was  there  no  king  before  him, 
that  turned  to  the  Lord  with  all  his  heart,  and  with  all 
his  might,  according  to  the  law  of  Moses;  neither  after 
him  arose  there  any  like  him." 

In  telling  the  story,  make  Josiah  as  worthy  of  ad- 
miration in  the  eyes  of  the  children  as  these  passages 
have  rendered  him  in  your  own  eyes.  Teach  them 
that  to  do  right  exactly  is  to  be  true  to  God.  If  they 
were  older,  we  should  have  to  say,  "To  do  right  as  far 
as  we  know  the  right";  but  since  they  are  children, 
with  no  complicated  problems  of  ethics  to  solve,  they 
may  adopt  Josiah' s  rule  of  life  to  the  letter. 

The  Approach 

What  does  it  mean  to  be  true  to  father  and  mother? 
To  love  them,  of  course;  but  it  means  more  yet.  Do 
we  allow  other  boys  and  girls  to  say  unkind  things 
about  them?    Would  we  be  afraid  to  stand  up  for 

107 


108  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

them?  I  should  hope  not !  In  what  other  ways  can  we 
be  true?  By  doing  what  we  know  they  wish  us  to  do, 
and  by  doing  it  well.  If  we  wipe  dishes,  we  wipe 
them  dry.  If  we  are  sent  on  errands,  we  don't  stop  to 
play  either  going  or  coming. 

This  is  a  story  of  a  king,  who  did  for  his  God  what 
you  do  for  your  fathers  and  mothers. 

Josiah  the  King 

Josiah,  eight  years  old,  was  king  of  Judah.  It  was 
hard  to  believe,  that  he,  a  httle  boy,  should  be  king. 
He  would  not  have  known  what  to  do,  all  by  himself. 
He  had  no  father  or  mother,  but  there  were  good  men 
to  help  him,  who  stood  beside  him  as  he  sat  on  his 
throne  and  walked  behind  him  when  he  went  to  the 
temple  to  pray.  They  told  him  that  there  was  one 
God  who  was  Lord  of  all,  and  that  His  word  was  the 
law  which  all  the  people  of  Judah  should  obey.  If 
Josiah  would  listen,  he  would  hear  the  word  of  God 
spoken  in  his  heart,  as  Samuel  had  heard  before  him, 
and  David,  and  Elijah," -and  then  he  would  know  what 
a  king  should  do. 

But  Josiah  was  puzzled;  for  he  knew  that  the  people 
of  Judah  worshipped  other  gods  than  the  one  God, 
strange  images  they  were,  of  wood  or  stone  or  brass. 
Were  not  their  altars  on  all  the  hills?  They  were 
even  in  the  temple  itself,  and  when  Josiah  went  in  to 
pray  to  the  one  God,  with  his  friends  walking  behind 
him,  he  passed  images  of  horses  which  had  been  given 
to  the  god  of  the  sun,  and  saw  curtains  hanging,  which 
the  women  of  Judah  had  woven  for  a  heathen  goddess. 
Since  there  was  but  one  God,  who  had  made  every- 
thing, what  could  be  the  use  of  all  these  images? 
Josiah  felt  sure  that  they  were  wrong  and  made  up 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD'S   PEOPLE  109 

his  mind  that  when  he  was  older  he  would  destroy 
them,  and  teach  his  people  to  worship  the  God  who  was 
Lord  of  all. 

There  were  other  things  for  a  king  to  do.  Josiah 
realized  it  every  time  he  went  into  the  temple.  This 
was  not  the  temple  which  Jesus  knew,  but  an  earlier 
one,  built  by  Solomon,  David's  son.  It  was  most 
beautiful,  all  carved  cedar  and  gold,  but  it  had  been 
standing  many  years,  and  Josiah  could  see  that  it  was 
sadly  in  need  of  repair.  This,  at  least,  was  one  thing 
he  could  do, —  to  repair  God's  house.  So  he  sent 
Shaphan  the  scribe  to  Hilkiah  the  high  priest,  command- 
ing him  to  count  the  money  in  the  treasury  of  the 
temple,  and  give  it  to  the  workmen  that  they  might 
repair  the  house  of  the  Lord.  Hilkiah  counted  the 
money,  and  there  was  more  than  enough.  He  gave  it 
to  the  carpenters  and  builders  and  masons,  and  they 
brought  timber  and  stone  and  repaired  the  temple  so 
well  that  when  Josiah  went  there  to  worship,  he  was 
glad, —  or  would  have  been,  except  for  those  altars  to 
strange  gods. 

While  the  men  were  working,  Hilkiah  the  priest 
found  a  book.  It  had  been  hidden  in  one  of  the  small 
rooms  of  the  temple.  Hilkiah  read  it,  and  it  surprised 
him  so  much  that  he  sent  for  Shaphan  the  scribe, 
and  they  read  it  again  together. 

Now  Hilkiah  the  priest  and  Shaphan  the  scribe  were 
two  of  the  good  men  who  had  taught  Josiah  about 
God;  and  the  book  they  had  found  was  a  joy  to  them, 
for  in  it  were  written  many  things  which  a  king  should 
know. 

They  took  the  book  to  the  king,  and  Shaphan  read 
it  aloud. 

Some  day,  you  can  read  this  book  for  yourselves, 
for  it  is  nothing  less  than  the  book  of  Deuteronomy  in 


110  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

our  Bible.  It  is  a  long  book,  you  see,  and  we  won't 
read  it  now;  but  there  are  passages  in  it  which  you 
know  already.     What  do  you  suppose  they  are? 

Do  you  remember  the  Ten  Commandments,  which 
Moses  gave  to  the  Children  of  Israel?  They  were 
written  in  this  book,  and  Josiah  heard  them  for  the 
first  time  in  his  life.  What  does  the  first  one  say? 
*'Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me.'' 

When  King  Josiah  heard  that,  he  thought  of  the 
altars  on  the  hills  and  the  horses  to  the  sun  and  the 
woven  hangings;  and  he  felt  as  sad  as  your  fathers  and 
mothers  feel  when  you  do  wrong,  because  his  people 
over  whom  he  ruled  had  broken  the  commandment 
of  God. 

Another  passage  which  was  read  to  the  king,  was  the 
'"first  and  great  commandment,"  which  Jesus  learned 
when  he  was  a  little  boy.     Who  can  repeat  that  for  us? 

"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  might." 

Josiah  was  glad  to  do  that;  and  he  vowed  that  day 
that  he  would  show  his  love  for  God  by  doing  exactly 
what  God  had  commanded,  and  by  teaching  the  people 
to  obey  his  law. 

He  sent  for  the  people  of  Judah  and  stood  before 
them  in  the  temple.  There  were  very  many  of  them, 
and  he  was  only  one  man  with  a  few  friends  beside  him. 
He  was  about  to  tell  the  people  that  the  gods  they 
worshipped  were  false  and  their  images  must  be  ground 
to  powder,  that  they  had  broken  the  laws  of  the  true 
God.  If  they  were  angry,  they  could  easily  kill  him. 
But  he  was  not  afraid.  He  told  them  of  the  book  which 
had  been  found  in  the  temple,  and  asked  them  to  Usten 
while  it  was  read. 

So  they  listened;  and  when  they  heard,  they  were 
ashamed.     They  promised  the  king  that  in  future  they 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD'S   PEOPLE  111 

would  worship  only  God,  and  that  they  would  keep 
his  commandments  as  they  were  written  in  the  book. 

Josiah  stood  by  a  pillar  in  the  temple,  and  made  his 
promise  to  God  for  his  people.  Then  he  called  Hilkiah 
and  the  other  priests  to  help  him,  and  they  tore  down  the 
woven  hangings,  and  broke  down  the  shrines,  and  car- 
ried the  horses  of  the  sun  and  all  the  other  images  to 
the  valley  of  Kidron,  south  of  Jerusalem,  where  they 
ground  them  to  powder  and  burned  them.  They  went 
all  through  the  land  of  Judah  and  broke  down  the 
altars  which  were  on  the  hill- tops,  and  burned  their 
images  also.  When  Josiah  had  finished,  there  was 
not  a  sign  of  a  heathen  god  left  in  all  the  land  over 
which  he  ruled. 

So  it  is  written  of  this  king,  that  he  was  the  greatest 
of  all  the  kings  of  Judah.  "He  did  that  which  was 
right  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  .  .  .  and  turned  not  aside 
to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left." 

Expressional  Work 

Discuss  with  the  class  the  phrase  ' 'turned  not  aside 
to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left."  Encourage  them  to 
apply  it  to  their  own  conduct. 

Dramatization:  This  may  be  done  very  simply. 
Josiah,  Hilkiah,  Shaphan,  and  several  other  advisers 
are  the  principal  characters.  The  scenes  are  the  king 
asking  and  receiving  advice,  the  finding  and  reading 
of  the  book,  the  presenting  and  reading  of  the  book 
to  the  king,  the  scene  in  the  temple  where  the  people 
give  their  promise, — possibly  the  destruction  of  the 
idols,  if  it  can  be  managed  without  too  much  violence. 

Skeleton  Story:  For  those  who  do  not  find  it  prac- 
ticable to  dramatize  the  story,  an  outline  is  provided 
for  the  pupils  to  fill  in. 


112  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

Key  to  the  Skeleton  Story 

Josiah  was  made  (king)  of  Judah  when  he  was  only 
(eight)  years  old.  His  friends  were  (good)  men,  who 
taught  him  that  a  (king)  must  keep  (God's)  law  as 
exactly  as  he  could ;  that  is,  he  must  not  (turn)  aside  to 
the  (right)  hand  or  to  the  (left).  When  Josiah  grew 
(older),  he  gave  orders  to  have  the  (temple)  repaired, 
and  while  the  carpenters  and  (masons)  were  at  work, 
Hilkiah  the  (priest)  found  a  (book).  In  it  were  written 
many  of  the  laws  of  (God),  including  the  (Ten)  Com- 
mandments and  "the  great  and  (first)  commandment." 
Josiah  was  glad  of  this  (book).  He  read  it  to  the 
(people),  and  they  promised  to  (worship)  God  always 
and  obey  his  (laws). 

Home  Work 

Bible  references  for  the  story  of  Josiah  are  II  Kings 
22:  1-10;  23:  1-13;  II  Chronicles  34:  1-5,  8-19,  29-33. 
These  are  too  complex  to  read  to  children,  but  they  will 
be  of  help  to  parents.  Encourage  the  children  to  retell 
the  story,  as  they  have  heard  it  in  Sunday  school. 
In  The  Little  Child  at  the  Breakfast  Table  j  read  section 
XXVII. 


LESSON  20 

THE    WINDOWS    WHICH    WERE    OPEN    TOWARD 
JERUSALEM 

The  Purpose 

In  the  story  of  Daniel,  we  have  another  instance  of 
faithfulness  to  God;  but  with  this  difference.  Josiah 
was  in  his  own  land,  at  home.  Daniel  is  in  a  strange 
country,  where  strange  gods  are  worshipped,  and  his 
own  God  is  more  than  ever  the  God  of  his  people. 
His  daily  prayer,  with  his  window  open  toward  Jerusa- 
lem, is  part  of  his  yearning  for  home.  He  does  not  try 
to  convert  others,  he  has  not  the  power;  but  he  is  true 
to  his  faith  even  when  loyalty  endangers  his  life.  The 
lesson  teaches  the  triumph  of  a  courage  which  wins  the 
respect  of  the  king  and  public  recognition  for  the  God 
whom  Daniel  worships. 

The  Approach 

Have  the  children  ever  gone  away  from  home  on 
a  visit?  Did  their  father  or  mother  stay  with  them, 
or  were  they  left  to  make  the  visit  by  themselves? 
Were  they  glad  to  get  home  again.  Ask  if  they  re- 
member Joseph,  who  was  sent  alone  into  Egypt,  and 
wondered  if  he  should  ever  see  his  father  again.  Try 
to  have  them  imagine  how  it  must  feel  to  be  away  from 
home  for  a  long  time. 

The  Windows  Which  were  Open  Toward  Jerusalem 

There  is  a  story  in  the  Bible  of  a  boy  named  Daniel 
who  was  taken  away  from  home.    He  had  lived  in 

113 


114  CHILDREN    OF   THE    FATHER 

Jerusalem,  not  long  after  the  good  king  Josiah.  He 
used  to  worship  God  in  the  temple  which  Josiah  had 
repaired.  But  one  day,  there  came  a  hostile  king  who 
was  stronger  than  the  king  of  Judah.  He  took  posses- 
sion of  Jerusalem,  and  carried  many  of  her  people  away 
with  him  to  his  own  country  of  Assyria. 

Daniel  was  only  a  boy.  He  was  homesick  at  first, 
and  wished  he  might  leave  Babylon  and  go  back  to 
Jerusalem;  but  as  the  days  went  by,  and  the  weeks  and 
the  months,  and  there  was  no  chance  of  going  home, 
he  decided  to  make  the  best  of  it,  especially  as  the  king 
of  Babylonia  liked  him  and  brought  him  to  live  in  the 
palace.  Daniel  learned  to  speak  the  language  of  that 
country  and  was  given  many  things  to  do  for  the  king; 
but  one  thing  he  would  not  do.  He  would  not  worship 
the  king's  gods.  For  here  in  Babylonia,  they  had 
other  gods  than  the  God  whom  Daniel  had  been  taught 
to  love,  at  home  in  Jerusalem. 

Every  day,  Daniel  opened  the  windows  of  his  room 
which  looked  in  the  direction  of  Jerusalem.  He  could 
not  see  it.  Many  miles  of  desert  country  lay  between 
DanieFs  room  and  the  temple.  But  he  knew  it  to  be 
there,  beyond  those  long  stretches  of  road  through 
the  wilderness,  and  he  liked  to  say  his  prayers  before 
the  open  window.  It  was  next  best  to  being  in  the 
temple.  Three  times  each  day  Daniel  knelt  and 
prayed  to  the  God  of  Judah. 

Now  it  came  to  pass  that  Babylonia  was  conquered 
by  Persia,  and  a  new  king,  Darius  by  name,  came  to 
live  in  the  palace.  But  it  made  no  difference  to  Daniel, 
for  Darius  also  liked  him, —  so  much  that  he  was  about 
to  make  him  governor  of  all  the  land,  as  Joseph  had 
been  in  Egypt.  Like  the  Babylonian  king,  Darius 
worshipped  strange  gods,  and  Daniel  still  prayed  by 
himself  before  his  open  windows. 


CHILDREN    OF   GOD's   PEOPLE  115 

There  were  men  in  that  land  who  were  not  fond  of 
Daniel,  as  was  the  king;  and  when  they  knew  that 
Darius  was  about  to  make  him  governor  of  the  land, 
they  were  jealous.  So  they  tried  to  find  some  wrong 
thing  that  he  had  done,  which  would  turn  the  king 
against  him.  But  Daniel  had  been  so  faithful  that 
they  could  find  nothing.  Then  they  remembered  that 
he  always  prayed  by  himself,  instead  of  worshipping 
their  gods,  and  they  knew  him  to  be  so  true  that  he 
would  not  give  up  that  prayer  before  his  open  window 
for  anything  they  might  do  or  say. ' 

They  v/ent  to  Darius  and  said, 

"King  Darius,  live  forever.  All  the  wise  men  of  the 
country  have  met  together  and  agreed  to  make  a  law 
that  whoever  shall  ask  anything  of  any  god  or  man  for 
thirty  days,  except  of  thee,  O  king,  shall  be  cast  into 
the  den  of  lions.  Now,  0  king,  estabhsh  the  law  and 
sign  the  writing,  that  it  be  not  changed. '^ 

Whereupon,  the  king  signed  the  writing  and  made  it 
a  law  which  even  he  could  not  change. 

But  although  Daniel  knew  that  the  writing  was 
signed,  he  went  into  his  room,  where  the  windows  were 
open  toward  Jerusalem,  and  he  kneeled  down  and 
asked  God  to  help  him,  three  times  a  day,  as  he  had 
before  the  law  was  made,  although  he  knew  that  if  he 
were  heard  by  men,  he  would  be  thrown  into  the  den 
of  lions.  And  the  men  who  had  made  the  law  came 
and  listened  below  the  open  windows,  and  heard 
Daniel's  voice  as  it  rose  in  prayer  to  the  God  of  Judah. 

They  went  to  the  king  and  said, 

"Hast  thou  not  signed  a  law,  that  any  man  who  shall 
ask  anything  within  thirty  days  of  god  or  man,  save 
of  thee,  O  king,  shall  be  cast  into  the  den  of  lions?'' 

"The  thing  is  true,"  said  the  king,  "and  may  not 
be  changed." 


116  CHILDREN    OF   THE    FATHER 

"But  that  Daniel,"  said  the  men,  "one  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Judah,  does  not  care  for  thy  word,  O  king,  but 
maketh  his  prayer  to  his  God  three  times  a  day." 

Now  the  king  was  very  angry,  not  with  Daniel,  for 
he  loved  him,  but  with  the  men  for  the  trick  they 
had  played.  He  had  never  thought  of  Daniel's  God 
when  he  signed  the  writing.  All  day  he  worked,  try- 
ing to  find  some  way  to  save  Daniel;  but  at  sundown, 
the  men  came  to  him  again  to  remind  him  of  the  law 
he  had  made,  the  law  which  could  not  be  changed. 

So  the  king  commanded,  and  they  brought  Daniel 
and  cast  him  into  the  den  of  lions.  But  the  king  said 
to  Daniel, 

"Thy  God,  whom  thou  servest  continually,  he  will 
save  thee." 

Then  a  great  stone  was  brought  and  rolled  before 
the  mouth  of  the  den,  and  the  king  sealed  it  with  his 
own  signet,  so  that  no  one  should  dare  to  let  Daniel  out. 

The  king  went  to  his  palace  and  passed  the  night 
without  eating.  He  would  allow  no  one  to  play  to 
him  on  instruments  of  music  and  he  could  not  sleep. 
But  as  soon  as  it  was  light,  he  hastened  to  the  den  of 
lions.     When  he  was  near  enough,  he  cried, 

"Daniel,  0  Daniel,  servant  of  the  living  God,  is 
thy  God,  whom  thou  servest  continually,  able  to  save 
thee  from  the  lions?" 

Then  said  Daniel  to  the  king, 

"0  king,  live  forever.    The  lions  have  not  hurt  me." 

Then,  indeed,  the  king  was  glad,  and  commanded 
that  Daniel  be  taken  out  of  the  den.  But  the  wicked 
men  who  had  plotted  against  him  were  punished  as  they 
deserved. 

Then  King  Darius  wrote  a  decree  for  all  the  people  in 
his  kingdom  that  they  should  worship  the  God  of  Daniel. 

"For  he  is  the  living  God,  and  steadfast  forever," 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD^S   PEOPLE  117 

Application 

The  point  of  this  story  is  not  the  escape  of  Daniel 
from  the  lions,  miraculous  or  not;  it  is  Daniel's  courage 
in  standing  by  his  belief  in  God,  even  though  it  might 
mean  death.  If  he  had  been  killed  by  the  lions,  his 
courage  would  have  been  no  less  fine.  His  prayer, 
three  times  a  day,  was  not  for  deliverance  through  fear 
of  physical  death;  it  was  his  regular  and  loyal  com- 
munion with  the  God  of  his  fathers. 

Lead  the  children  to  see  that  loyalty  to  God  means 
also  loyalty  to  what  they  know  to  be  right.  The  prin- 
ciple applies  to  the  child  who  knows  that  cheating  is 
wrong  and  is  not  afraid  to  say  so,  although  his  com- 
panions may  pummel  him  for  holding  to  his  point. 
When  children  first  come  together,  outside  the  direct 
influence  of  parent  or  teacher,  there  is  often  a  tendency 
to  independence  of  home-taught  principles,  especially 
if  older  children  are  present.  This  is  the  time  when  the 
child  needs  courage  to  stand  for  the  things  which  he 
knows  are  right  and  sacred.  The  story  recommended 
for  supplementary  reading,  under  "Home  Work,'' 
may  also  be  of  assistance  to  the  teacher  in  making  her 
point. 

Expressional  Work 

Dramatization:  This  very  dramatic  story  can  be 
safely  acted  if  the  lion  scene  is  omitted.  1.  The 
jealous  courtiers  plot  against  Daniel.  2,  They  per- 
suade Darius  to  make  the  new  law.  3.  They  listen 
outside  the  room  where  Daniel  prays  before  the  open 
window.  4.  They  report  what  they  have  heard  to 
the  king.  5.  The  king  escorts  Daniel  to  the  den  of 
lions.  6.  Darius  comes  in  the  morning,  calls  to 
Daniel,  and  finds  him  safe. 


118  CHILDREN   OF  THE    FATHER 

The  text  to  be  memorized  is  printed  on  a  leaflet  to 
be  colored. 

Memory  Verse 

Blessed  is  the  nation  whose  God  is  the  Lord. 

Psalm  33:12. 

Home  Work 

This  story  of  Daniel  is  told  in  the  sixth  chapter  of 
the  book  of  Daniel;  but  it  is  hoped  that  the  parent 
will  follow  the  suggestions  given  to  the  teacher  in 
making  a  modern  application  of  the  principle  of  loyalty. 
A  valuable  story  for  supplementary  reading  is  "To  the 
Rescue!''  by  Mary  E.  Parks,  in  The  Beacon  for  Novem- 
ber 14,  1915.     (Volume  VI.     No.  7). 


LESSON  21 
THE  KING'S  CUPBEARER 

The  Purpose 

We  have  here  a  story  showing  aggressive  patriotism. 
Daniel  was  true  to  his  people  and  his  God,  but  he  was 
content  to  stay  in  Babylon  and  make  the  best  of  the 
situation.  Not  so  with  Nehemiah.  The  pitiful  tale 
of  Jerusalem's  desolation  so  works  upon  his  emotions 
that  he  can  only  reheve  his  feelings  by  action.  He  is 
of  the  type  that  must  do  something.  In  telling  the 
story,  place  emphasis  upon  his  desire  to  exalt  his  own 
country,  to  make  her  what  she  was  before  her  fall. 
Thus  should  we  love  our  native  land,  doing  our  best  to 
establish  her  strength,  not  at  the  expense  of  other 
nations  but  through  personal  service.  Children  are 
very  sensitive  to  the  call  of  patriotism,  and  it  is  an 
opportunity  to  teach  faithfulness  in  httle  things  as 
training  for  the  greater  call  to  loyalty  which  may  some 
day  come. 

The  Approach 

Talk  with  the  class  about  Lincoln.  What  did  he  do 
for  his  country?  If  it  had  not  been  for  Lincoln,  the 
United  States  might  have  been  divided.  There  might 
have  been  two  countries  where  now  there  is  one. 

Do  you  remember  the  story  of  Daniel?  Where  did 
he  live?  Why  was  he  there  instead  of  at  home  in 
Jerusalem?  Yes,  Jerusalem  had  gone  to  pieces,  and 
there  were  only  a  few  poor  people  living  there,  who  got 

119 


120  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

their  living  by  farming.  Most  of  the  people  had  been 
taken  to  Assyria  and  Babylon  as  Daniel  had  been. 

Do  you  remember  what  Daniel  did  for  his  country? 
He  kept  his  windows  open  toward  Jerusalem,  and  never 
forgot  to  pray  to  the  God  whom  his  people  worshipped. 
Why  was  he  brave? 

The  lesson  to-day  is  about  Nehemiah,  who  was 
also  a  Jew  in  Babylon,  and  tells  what  he  did  for  his 
country. 

The  King's  Cupbearer 

Nehemiah  was  cupbearer  to  the  king.  Each  day, 
when  the  king  and  queen  sat  in  the  palace  at  dinner, 
with  the  chief  officers  of  the  kingdom  on  the  right  and 
on  the  left,  Nehemiah  passed  the  wine.  He  was  not 
a  servant.  The  man  who  passed  the  wine  was  as  close 
to  the  king  as  his  best  friend;  for  the  king's  enemies 
would  have  liked  to  put  poison  in  the  wine,  and  it  was 
Nehemiah's  business  to  see  that  nothing  of  that  sort 
happened.  Sometimes  he  tasted  the  wine  himself,  for 
if  the  king  had  died  from  poisoned  wine,  Nehemiah 
would  have  been  to  blame. 

But  the  king  was  very  sure  that  no  poison  would  be 
mixed  with  his  wine  as  long  as  Nehemiah  was  cup- 
bearer. This  king — his  name  was  Artaxerxes — loved 
Nehemiah  as  Darius  had  loved  Daniel.  He  did  his 
best  to  make  his  cupbearer  happy,  and  Nehemiah  was 
usually  ready  to  smile  when  he  passed  the  cup. 

One  day,  Nehemiah  met  some  Jews  who  had  re- 
cently come  from  Jerusalem.  They  were  friends  and 
Nehemiah  was  glad  indeed  to  see  them,  and  asked 
eagerly  how  the  poor  people  were  faring  who  had  been 
left  behind,  and  how  the  city  looked  with  its  stately 
walls  and  towers.     Had  the  Chaldaeans  really  hurt  it 


121 

very  much  when  they  took  possession?    And  the  Jews 
answered, 

"The  few  people  who  are  left  are  most  wretched: 
the  wall  of  Jerusalem  is  broken  down  and  the  gates 
are  burned  with  fire.'^ 

Nehemiah  could  see  it!  He  knew  how  a  burned 
city  looked, — how  the  walls  had  become  heaps  of  rub- 
bish, how  foxes  ran  in  and  out  at  night.  He  could 
understand  how  people  living  in  such  a  place  would 
be  wretched.  He  was  wretched  himself  at  the  thought 
of  it,  for  he  had  liked  to  think  of  Jerusalem  as  she  had 
looked  before  the  Chaldaeans  came.  Now  she  was  a 
wreck,  like  a  burnt  house  with  black,  charred  holes 
where  there  had  been  windows,  and  cold,  empty  rooms, 
where  children  had  played. 

That  day,  when  Nehemiah  passed  the  wine,  he  did 
not  smile. 

The  king,  sitting  as  usual  with  the  queen  beside  him, 
and  his  chief  officers  at  the  right  and  the  left,  took 
the  cup,  and  at  the  same  time,  he  noticed  Nehemiah's 
face. 

"Why  is  thy  face  sad,'^  said  the  king,  "seeing  that 
thou  art  not  sick?  This  is  nothing  else  but  sorrow  of 
heart.'' 

Nehemiah's  hand  shook,  but  he  said  bravely, 

"Let  the  king  live  forever.  Why  should  not  my 
face  be  sad,  when  the  city,  the  home  of  my  fathers, 
lieth  w£iste,  and  her  gates  are  burned  with  fire?" 

Then  said  the  king, 

"For  what  dost  thou  ask?'' 

Nehemiah  prayed  in  his  heart  to  God,  to  tell  him 
the  right  thing  to  say.     Then  he  said, 

"If  it  please  the  king,  I  would  ask  that  thou  wouldest 
send  me  to  Judah,  to  the  city  of  my  fathers,  that  I 
may  build  it." 


122  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

"How  long  shall  thy  journey  be?"  said  the  king, 
"and  when  wilt  thou  return?" 

Nehemiah  set  a  time.     He  also  said, 

"If  it  please  the  king,  let  letters  be  given  me  to  the 
governors  beyond  the  river,  that  they  may  let  me  pass 
through  till  I  come  to  Judah ;  and  a  letter  to  the  keeper 
of  the  king's  forest,  that  he  may  give  me  timber  to 
make  beams  for  the  houses  and  the  walls  of  the  city." 

The  king  was  ready  and  glad  to  do  all  that  Nehemiah 
asked,  so  that  the  cup-bearer's  face  was  no  longer  sad. 
For  he  thought  now  less  of  how  deserted  Jerusalem 
must  look,  and  more  of  all  he  had  to  do  to  rebuild  the 
city  with  her  gates  and  towers. 

Nehemiah  went  to  Jerusalem ;  but  in  spite  of  the  king's 
letters,  he  found  it  a  dangerous  business.  For  there 
were  enemies  living  near  Jerusalem  who  did  not  wish 
to  see  her  rebuilt.  So  Nehemiah  rose  in  the  night, 
and  rode  about  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  with  only  a  few- 
men;  and  he  took  note,  as  well  as  he  could  in  the  dark, 
of  how  badly  the  walls  were  broken,  and  how  there 
were  places  where  he  could  not  pass  at  all.  And  no  one 
knew,  except  the  few  men  who  were  with  him.  But 
afterwards,  when  he  told  the  people  who  were  still 
living  in  the  city,  they  were  glad  to  work,  although 
they  were  obliged  to  do  their  repairing  with  a  trowel 
in  one  hand  and  a  sword  in  the  other,  because  of  the 
watchfulness  of  their  enemies. 

So  the  walls  were  rebuilt  and  the  city  made  safe. 
Nehemiah  went  back  to  the  king,  and  told  him  of  the 
good  work  he  had  done.  After  this,  when  he  passed 
the  cup,  we  may  be  sure  that  his  smile  pleased  the  king, 
for  Nehemiah  was  thinking  of  Jerusalem  as  he  had  left 
her,  with  her  walls  and  towers  rising  on  Mount  Zion, 
and  her  people  living  more  comfortably  in  the  houses 
which  they  were  building  for  themselves. 


CHILDREN    OF   GOD's   PEOPLE  123 

Expressional  Work 

Talk  with  the  class  about  the  rebuilding  of  cities — 
very  briefly.  There  are  instances  enough  in  this 
country,  of  cities  destroyed  by  earthquake  or  flood  or 
fire.  Who  rebuilt  them  ?  Yes,  the  people,  so  that  they 
may  have  homes  and  stores  and  schools.  Lead  the 
children  to  see  that  the  country  is  made  up  of  cities 
and  towns  and  villages.  Lincoln  was  a  great  president 
because  he  loved  the  people  who  live  in  all  these  places 
and  kept  them  together  in  one  great  nation,  our  United 
States,  just  as  Nehemiah  loved  the  people  who  were 
trying  to  live  in  Jerusalem  and  rebuilt  that  city  so  that 
they  might  have  a  home.  Bring  out  the  possibilities 
each  of  us  has  of  helping.  We  can  help  our  country 
by  taking  good  care  of  our  cities  when  they  are  built, — 
by  being  as  careful  of  our  desks  at  school  as  we  are  of 
our  own  at  home,  by  not  scattering  rubbish  on  the 
street.  Let  the  pupils  suggest  ways.  A  sheet  is 
furnished  for  this  lesson  in  the  pupil's  note-book  for 
writing  down  such  suggestions. 

For  classes  which  use  the  dramatic  method  of  ex- 
pression, this  story  furnishes  excellent  material.  There 
are  three  scenes  at  least:  Nehemiah  meets  his  friends 
and  asks  them  about  Jerusalem ;  he  passes  the  wine  with 
a  sad  face  and  makes  his  request  of  the  king;  he  returns 
and  tells  his  story. 

Home  Work 

For  the  original  form  of  the  story,  see  Nehemiah  1; 
2:  1-8,  17,  18;  4:  6.  ''The  section.  Our  Country," 
in  The  Little  Child  at  the  Breakfast  Table,  p.  62,  is  also 
valuable  material.  The  child  may  be  encouraged  to 
discover  and  practice  ways  of  helping  his  country  by 
taking  care  of  his  city  or  town. 


LESSON  22 
THE  BUILDING  OF  THE  DOME  OF  FLORENCE 

The  Purpose 

The  story  of  how  Brunelleschi  built  the  dome  of  the 
Cathedral  of  Florence  is  used  here  as  another  illustra- 
tion of  devotion  to  one's  city.  The  love  of  Florentines 
for  Florence  was  second  only  to  that  of  the  Jews  for 
Jerusalem.  Ethically,  the  theme  is  perseverance; 
but  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  it  was  love  which 
made  Brunelleschi  persevere. 

Memory  Verse 

Let  the  house  of  God  be  Builded. 

Ezra  5:15. 

The  Approach 

A  picture  of  the  dome  of  Saint  Mary  of  the  Flower 
is  furnished  with  the  pupil's  note-book.  Show  this 
and  talk  about  domes.  Ask  the  class  how  many  have 
seen  one,  have  stood  under  one.  Talk  with  them  about 
block-building.  Ask  if  they  could  build  a  dome  with 
blocks.     Why  not? 

Domes  are  difficult  to  build.  The  story  to-day  is  how 
this  one  in  the  picture  was  built. 

The  Building  of  the  Dome  of  Florence 

The  Florentines  had  built  a  cathedral,  white  and 
rose  and  gray,  in  which  to  worship  God.  They  did 
not,  however,  call  it  ''the  cathedral",  as  we  speak  of 

124 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  S   PEOPLE  125 

"the  church''.  They  called  it  "Saint  Mary  of  the 
Flower,"  because  they  loved  Mary,  who  was  Jesus' 
mother,  and  also  because  they  loved  flowers — prim- 
roses and  violets,  roses  and  poppies,  which  grew  in 
the  meadows  by  the  river  Arno.  Above  all  they  loved 
the  lily;  for  it  was  the  flower  which  stood  to  them  for 
Florence. 

Saint  Mary  of  the  Flower  was  a  building  so  large 
that  it  could  hold  nearly  all  the  Florentines  at  once. 
It  had  stained-glass  windows  and  massive  stone  columns 
which  helped  support  the  roof — except  in  one  place 
where  there  was  no  roof  at  all  and  where  nobody  seemed 
to  know  how  to  build  one.  This  place  was  at  one  end, 
that  farthest  from  the  doors  by  which  you  went  in. 
Instead  of  having  a  straight  wall  at  the  end,  the  build- 
ing was  shaped  like  an  octagon,  and  the  Florentines 
wished  to  cover  it  with  a  dome — as  if  each  wall  of  the 
octagon  could  grow  like  a  tree,  curving  over  until  it 
met  the  others  in  a  point  at  the  centre.  It  would  be 
a  roof  shaped  like  the  sky.  It  was  a  beautiful  thought, 
but  the  Florentines  might  as  well  have  expected  the 
walls  to  grow  like  trees  for  all  they  knew  of  building 
domes. 

Meanwhile,  the  rain  came  in  and  the  snow.  Once 
there  was  so  much  snow  on  the  floor  that  you  could 
have  made  snow-balls.  A  boy  noticed  this.  He 
liked  snow  because  he  could  make  figures  out  of  it. 
He  had  just  modelled  a  splendid  snow-man  at  the 
corner  of  his  own  street.  He  was  sorry  to  see  it  in  the 
cathedral,  however.  That  wasn't  the  place  for  snow. 
He  wished  he  could  learn  to  put  a  dome  on  Saint  Mary 
of  the  Flower. 

This  boy,  whose  name  was  Filippo  Brunelleschi^ 
was  always  working  with  his  hands.  He  not  only 
made  men  out  of  snow,  he  modelled  them  in  clay.     He 


126  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

drew  plans  of  buildings  and  tried  to  make  little  houses 
of  wood.  When  he  was  old  enough,  his  father  put  him 
into  a  goldsmith's  shop,  where  he  made  silver  crosses, 
and  set  jewels  for  the  fine  ladies  of  Florence.  But 
after  his  work  was  done,  he  would  go  to  the  wide, 
sunny  square  of  the  cathedral,  and  try  to  think  how  his 
dome  would  look. 

At  last,  he  decided  to  go  to  Rome,  and  see  what  he 
could  find  there  in  the  way  of  splendid  buildings.  He 
had  always  heard  that  there  were  wonderful  churches 
and  temples  there, — although  he  was  sure  that  the 
city  itself  could  not  be  nearly  as  beautiful  as  his  own 
Florence.  With  him  went  his  friend  Donatello,  who 
had  worked  beside  him  in  the  goldsmith's  shop.  Don- 
atello could  model  better  figures  than  he  could,  but 
he  was  not  so  clever  about  planning  buildings.  The 
boys  were  poor,  so  they  had  to  go  on  foot;  but  they 
did  not  mind  that.  All  roads  lead  to  Rome,  we  are 
told,  and  they  took  the  shortest. 

Once  there,  while  Donatello  studied  every  statue 
he  could  find,  Brunelleschi  measured  buildings.  Rome 
was  so  old  that  there  were  statues  and  parts  of  build- 
ings buried  in  the  ground,  and  the  two  went  about 
digging  them  up.  Once  they  found  a  vase  full  of 
money,  and  after  that,  the  Romans  called  them  ' 'treas- 
ure-seekers." But  except  for  this  bit  of  good  luck, 
they  were  usually  poor,  and  would  often  have  to  stop 
digging  statues  and  go  to  work  setting  jewels  to  earn 
enough  to  keep  them  alive.  And  still,  when  the  day's 
work  was  over,  and  they  sat  together  talking  about 
what  they  would  do  when  they  got  back  to  Florence, 
Brunelleschi  remembered  Saint  Mary  of  the  Flower 
and  the  wide,  open  space  over  the  octagon. 

One  day,  soon  after  coming  to  Rome,  Brunelleschi 
came  upon  a  church  which  appeared  to  be  all  dome. 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD's    PEOPLE  127 

He  went  in,  and  the  floor  space  seemed  to  him  about 
the  same  as  that  at  the  end  of  the  cathedral  at  home. 
Perhaps  he  could  learn  here  how  to  build  a  dome.  So 
he  began  to  ask  questions.  The  church  was  called 
the  Pantheon,  they  told  him.  Yes,  its  dome  was  cer- 
tainly remarkable.  The  early  Romans  had  built  it, 
nearly  thirteen  hundred  years  ago.  How?  It  was 
said  that  the  builders  had  made  two  wooden  shells, 
each  shaped  like  half  an  orange  with  all  the  pulp  taken 
out,  one  smaller  than  the  other.  They  rested  on  the 
walls,  which  were  not  very  high,  as  Brunelleschi  could 
see,  one  shell  inside  the  other.  There  was  a  round  hole 
in  the  top.  Then  Hquid  concrete  was  poured  between 
the  shells  until  the  space  was  full.  When  it  was  hard, 
the  wooden  part  was  taken  away,  and  there  was  a 
solid  dome  of  concrete  with  a  round  window  at  the  top. 
It  was  well  done,  as  he  could  see,  to  have  stood  thirteen 
hundred  years  without  cracking! 

"But  it  must  weigh  tons,  since  it  is  solid,''  said 
Brunelleschi. 

"Yes,"  they  repHed,  "but  those  low  walls  are  twenty 
feet  thick!" 

Brunelleschi  knew  that  the  walls  of  the  octagon  in 
Florence  were  not  twenty  feet  thick,  or  anywhere  near 
it.  He  could  not  build  such  a  dome  for  Saint  Mary 
of  the  Flower.  Yet  he  remembered  what  he  had  seen. 
He  must  do  something  still  better. 

When  they  went  home,  Brunelleschi  hurried  to  the 
square.  He  sat  down  on  the  steps  of  a  shop  opposite 
the  cathedral,  and  looked  at  it.  It  was  a  wide  square, 
and  the  warm  sunshine  pouring  down  thrilled  him. 
He  knew  that  all  around  the  square,  the  streets  were 
dark  and  narrow,  but  they  led  to  palaces  of  noblemen 
who  had  fought  for  Florence,  who  believed  that  there 
was  no  city  on  earth  so  beautiful  or  so  worth  living  and 


128  CHILDREN   OF  THE    FATHER 

dying  for.  A  tall,  slender  tower  stood  beside  Saint 
Mary  of  the  Flower.  Giotto  had  built  that,  for 
Florence.  Brunelleschi  got  up  from  the  step;  he  took 
off  his  hat  as  if  he  had  been  inside  the  cathedral.  He 
vowed  that  he  would  build  a  dome  as  splendid  as  that 
tower.  He  would  do  it  for  Florence,  and  nothing  should 
stop  him. 

Soon  after  that,  a  council  was  called  of  all  the  archi- 
tects in  that  part  of  the  world,  to  see  what  could  be 
done  about  the  dome.  They  came  and  they  looked 
at  the  octagon  and  the  open  space  of  blue  sky  above  it, 
and  they  shook  their  heads.  They  made  measurements 
around  and  across  and  up  and  down,  and  they  shook 
their  heads  again.  Finally  they  came  together  with 
their  measurements  and  talked  it  over.  Some  of  them 
suggested  ways  of  doing  it  which  the  others  voted  down 
as  foolish.  For  example,  you  might  cart  such  a  moun- 
tain of  dirt  into  the  space  that  the  dome  could  be  built 
on  top  of  it;  and  if  you  scattered  money  in  the  dirt  as 
you  heaped  it  up,  the  people  would  cart  it  away  for 
what  they  could  find,  with  no  further  trouble  to  the 
builders.  Yet  none  seemed  so  fooUsh  to  the  archi- 
tects as  Brunelleschi's  idea  of  two  domes,  one  inside 
the  other.  One  was  bad  enough.  The  walls  would 
never  hold  two.     Surely  he  had  gone  mad! 

They  laughed  at  him,  and  treated  him  like  a  fool. 
Brunelleschi  set  his  teeth  and  went  home.  He  sat 
down  and  went  to  work  on  his  two  domes.  He  said 
nothing  more  about  it, — indeed  he  went  out  very 
little,  except  at  night,  because  the  Florentines  laughed 
when  they  saw  him  coming;  but  when  the  moon  was 
full,  he  would  go  to  the  wide  square,  and  look  at  the 
white  gleaming  walls  of  Saint  Mary  of  the  Flower, 
and  think  again  how  his  dome  would  look,  bathed  in 
the  moonlight. 


129 

The  Florentines  called  another  council,  and  Brunel- 
leschi  came,  but  he  would  not  bring  his  models.  They 
were  too  far  along  by  this  time,  and  he  was  afraid 
some  other  architect  would  steal  his  idea.  So  he 
asked  the  wise  men,  who  were  sure  that  dome  could 
not  be  built,  if  they  could  make  an  egg  stand  on  end.* 
Of  course  they  couldn't.  Why  did  this  mad  man  ask 
them  such  a  foolish  question? 

Brunelleschi,  it  is  said,  took  the  egg,  struck  it  smartly 
on  the  pavement,  and  there  it  stood,  broken  at  one  end, 
to  be  sure,  but  upright. 

"Any  of  us  could  have  done  that!"  they  exclaimed, 
in  disgust. 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  "so  you  could  build  the  dome,  if 
you  saw  my  model." 

Perhaps  they  thought  then  that  Brunelleschi  was  not 
so  mad  after  all.  At  any  rate,  as  none  of  them  could 
possibly  think  of  a  way  of  building  a  roof  over  the 
octagon,  they  gave  him  permission  to  try.  He  began 
at  once,  and  built,  as  he  had  said  he  would,  a  dome 
within  a  dome;  but  instead  of  pouring  in  concrete,  he 
fastened  them  together  with  chains  and  ribs,  which 
were  light  but  strong.  If  any  of  you  are  architects 
when  you  grow  up,  you  will  find  out  just  how  that 
was  done.  All  of  us,  when  we  go  to  Florence,  can 
climb  to  the  top  by  staircases  which  wind  up  between 
the  domes.  When  you  look  at  the  picture,  you  can 
see  the  tiny  windows  in  the  outer  dome  which  light  the 
staircases. 

It  is  more  than  four  hundred  and  fifty  years  since 
Brunelleschi  built  a  dome  for  Saint  Mary  of  the  Flower. 
Thousands  of  people  have  worshipped  God  beneath  it; 
for  the  rain  no  longer  comes  in,  nor  the  snow.  Thous- 
ands more  have  seen  it  from  the  hills  about  Florence 

*  This  story  is  also  told  of  Columbus. 


130  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

and  have  loved  Brunelleschi's  city  the  more  because 
of  the  beauty  of  that  dark  red  dome,  shaped  Hke  the 
half-opened  bud  of  a  drooping  lily.  And  he  did  more 
than  build  for  Florence.  Because  he  found  out  the 
secret,  and  other  architects  learned  how  from  what  he 
had  done,  there  are  other  great  domes  especially  in 
London,  over  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  in  Rome  herself 
over  St.  Peter's,  and  over  our  own  capitol  at  Washing- 
ton. All  these  have  been  possible  because  one  man 
persevered.  And  he  did  it  because  he  loved  Florence 
as  we  love  our  country. 

Expressional  Work 

The  print  of  the  Cathedral  of  Florence  is  to  be  pasted 
into  the  frame.  Call  attention  to  the  convention- 
aUzed  lily,  the  emblem  of  Florence. 

Home  Work 

The  story  of  Brunelleschi  teaches  not  only  loyalty 
to  one's  city,  but  perseverance.  Compare  with  it 
other  stories  of  men  who  have  persevered.  One  in- 
stance is  that  of  Robert  Bruce,  who  learned  his  lesson 
from  watching  a  spider.  This  incident  is  very  well 
told  in  ^Tifty  Famous  Stories,"  by  James  Baldwin. 

This  story  may  also  be  compared  to  that  in  the 
previous  lesson,  telling  of  Nehemiah  and  his  persever- 
ance in  repairing  the  city  he  loved. 


LESSON  23 
THE  MAID  SENT  BY  GOD 

The  Purpose 

"With  Joan  of  Arc  love  of  country  was  more  than  a 
sentiment — it  was  a  passion.  She  was  the  Genius  of 
Patriotism. '^ 

This  is  Mark  Twain's  summary,  in  his  '' Personal 
Reminiscences  of  Joan  of  Arc.''  It  is  also  the  key- 
note of  this  lesson.  France  was  in  danger  of  losing  her 
identity;  Joan  of  Arc  brought  her  to  her  senses.  The 
Maid  did  not  fight  the  English  because  she  hated  them; 
she  was  as  compassionate  a  soul  as  ever  came  into  being : 
but  she  did  recognize  the  right  of  her  country  to  ex- 
istence, and  she  fought  for  that  right  with  such  splen- 
did courage,  such  unselfish  heroism,  that  she  deserves 
the  immortal  name  which  history  has  bestowed  upon 
her. 

The  story  as  retold  here  does  not  touch  her  martyr- 
dom. Space  does  not  permit,  and  doubtless  it  is  better 
so.  A  French  child  could  pardon  such  a  blot  on  his 
nation's  honor,  but  an  American  child  might  think 
Joan's  devotion  to  so  ungrateful  a  king  not  worth  the 
cost,  and  so  the  purpose  of  the  lesson,  to  inspire  true 
patriotism,  would  be  spoiled. 

Memory  Verse 

Up,  that  I  may  send  thee. 

Isaiah  9:26. 

131 


132  CHILDREN    OF   THE    FATHER 

The  Approach 

The  course  is  so  planned  that  this  lesson  should 
come  at  a  time  when  the  children  are  being  reminded 
of  Washington  and  Lincoln.  Speak  of  these  birthdays 
of  patriots.  Ask  what  a  patriot  is.  Then  tell  the  story 
of  Joan  of  Arc. 

The  Maid  Sent  by  God 

All  this  actually  happened  in  the  land  of  France, 
some  seventy  years  before  America  was  discovered. 

On  a  hill  outside  the  village  of  Domremy  stood  an 
ancient  beech  tree.  The  villagers  said  it  was  more 
than  five  hundred  years  old;  and  indeed  you  could  see, 
from  its  huge  trunk  and  wide-spreading  branches, 
that  it  had  been  growing  there  a  long  time.  It  was 
called  the  Fairy  Tree,  because  it  was  beheved  that 
fairies  had  once  liked  to  dance  there  by  moonlight. 
The  children  had  never  seen  them,  but  used  to  make 
wreaths  of  wildflowers  to  hang  about  the  place,  to 
please  the  little  creatures. 

As  for  the  children,  they  danced  there  in  the  daytime. 
There  was  a  song  about  the  tree,  and  they  used  to  join 
hands  in  a  circle  about  the  beautiful  gray  trunk  and 
sing  that  song.  Then  they  would  loose  each  other's 
hands,  sit  down  on  the  fresh  grass  in  a  smaller  circle, 
and  talk  of  all  they  would  do  when  they  grew  up. 

Most  of  this  talk  was  about  the  war.  There  was 
little  else  to  talk  about  in  those  days.  The  children's 
own  grandfathers  could  not  remember  when  the  war 
had  begun  between  France  and  England.  It  had  been 
going  on  for  nearly  a  hundred  years.  France  had  been 
a  brave  nation  at  the  start,  but  now  she  was  in  a  state 
of  terror.  Bands  of  robbers  rode  about  as  they  pleased, 
burning  villages  in  the  night.     The  soldiers  of  France 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD's   PEOPLE  133 

were  so  discouraged  that  they  had  allowed  themselves 
to  be  driven  farther  and  farther  south  until  England 
was  in  possession  of  nearly  half  their  country.  Their 
poor  old  king  was  mad,  and  their  queen  so  wicked  that 
she  had  married  her  daughter  to  the  English  king  and 
promised  that  when  her  mad  husband  died,  their  little 
baby  should  be  king  of  France.  Do  you  see  what  that 
meant?  France  would  be  simply  an  English  province 
and  not  France  at  all.  The  children  under  the  tree 
knew  the  meaning  of  it  all.  Their  country  would  be 
dead. 

Their  only  hope  was  in  the  mad  king's  son,  whom 
they  called  the  Dauphin.  It  was  he,  not  an  English 
baby,  who  should  be  king  of  France  when  his  father 
died.  At  present,  however,  the  Dauphin  was  not 
doing  anything  for  France.  He  was  in  the  castle  of 
Chinon,  south  of  the  river  Loire,  with  a  few  soldiers, 
and  was  leading  a  gay  life  with  his  lords  and  ladies. 
It  was  said  that  he  was  ready  to  run,  when  the  English 
army  came  a  little  nearer,  and  that  this  would  be  very 
soon,  since  the  town  of  Orleans,  just  north  of  the  Loire 
and  not  far  from  Chinon,  had  been  besieged  by  the 
enemy  for  months  and  could  not  hold  out  much  longer. 

The  boys  wished  they  were  old  enough  to  fight,  and 
each  one  told  what  he  would  do.  Even  the  girls  grew 
quite  hot,  and  said  that  they  could  help,  too, — all  but 
one.  That  was  Joan  of  Arc.  But  Joan  did  not  talk 
because  she  was  so  troubled.  She  loved  her  country 
more  than  her  Hfe. 

Then  came  news  that  the  king  was  dead.  The  chil- 
dren were  much  excited  and  wondered  if  the  Dauphin 
would  come  out  from  the  castle  of  Chinon,  and  demand 
the  crown  which  ought  to  have  been  his.  But  the 
Dauphin  stayed  where  he  was.  And  still  the  English 
were  besieging  Orleans. 


134  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

When  this  last  bad  news  came,  Joan  grew  very 
quiet.  She  had  been  a  happy  child,  one  of  the  gayest 
of  those  who  danced  about  the  tree,  and  her  playmates 
wondered  at  this  change  in  her.  She  was  sixteen  now, 
of  a  slight  figure  and  very  beautiful,  and  there  was  no 
one  in  the  village  who  did  not  love  and  respect  her. 
She  was  near  to  God,  too;  and  presently  her  friends 
knew  why  she  had  lately  been  so  thoughtful. 

Joan  said  that  she  had  had  messages  from  God  which 
she  called  Voices.  They  had  told  her  first  to  live 
rightly  and  to  obey  God.  Then  they  had  spoken  of 
France  and  its  desperate  condition.  She  was  under 
the  Fairy  Tree,  alone,  when  her  Voices  had  made  her 
happy,  oh,  so  happy,  by  telling  her  that  France  should 
be  saved!  And  last  of  all,  they  had  taken  her  breath 
away  by  saying  that  Joan  herself  should  take  command 
of  the  army,  raise  the  siege  of  Orleans,  and  lead  the 
Dauphin  to  the  Cathedral  at  Rheims  to  be  crowned 
king. 

She  could  hardly  believe  that  she  had  heard  rightly, — 
and  yet  her  Voices  were  so  clear!  They  had  always 
told  her  the  truth  before.  Should  she  not  believe 
them  now? 

Joan  of  Arc,  the  little  peasant  girl  of  sixteen,  was  sure 
from  that  day  that  God  had  called  her  to  deliver 
France.  She  made  others  equally  sure.  She  went 
about  with  her  head  up  and  her  eyes  bright.  It  was 
as  if  she  were  already  General  of  the  armies  of  France. 

She  said  afterward  that  she  never  took  a  step  which 
was  not  directed  by  her  Voices.  Her  first  move  was 
to  go  to  the  governor  of  Vaucouleurs  and  ask  him  to 
send  her  fully  armed  and  with  an  escort  of  soldiers  to 
the  Dauphin  in  Chinon.  He  listened  to  her  story, 
he  was  moved  in  spite  of  himself;  but  he  could  not 
believe  that  a  young  girl  could  ever  be  Commander-in- 


CHILDREN  OF  GOD's   PEOPLE  135 

Chief  of  an  army.  He  thought  her  mad  and  sent  her 
home. 

Joan  went  home  and  waited.  Then  she  tried  again 
and  succeeded.  The  governor  girded  on  her  sword 
himself.  Trained  soldiers  went  with  her,  and  supported 
her  on  the  march  to  Chinon,  where  she  hoped  to  be 
heard  by  the  Dauphin. 

But  it  was  a  long  time  before  the  Dauphin  could 
believe  that  this  peasant  girl  could  bring  about  his 
coronation.  He,  too,  made  her  wait.  He  had  her 
examined  by  priests,  but  she  refused  to  tell  her  mission 
to  anyone  but  himself. 

At  last,  when  the  pati-ence  of  Joan's  friends  was 
nearly  worn  out,  she  was  summoned  to  the  Castle. 

She  was  announced  by  heralds  with  slender,  silver 
trumpets,  and  led  in  state  down  the  great  hall.  On 
either  side  of  her  were  richly  dressed  ladies,  and  knights 
whose  polished  armor  reflected  the  flickering  light  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  torches.  It  was  a  scene  which 
would  have  dazzled  a  more  experienced  person  than 
Joan,  but  she  walked  as  easily  as  if  she  had  beenlin  her 
own  meadows  at  Domremy. 

The  knights  and  ladies  waited  to  see  her  bow  low 
before  the  figure  sitting  on  the  Dauphin's  throne. 
But  she  stood  erect  in  astonishment,  then  turned  and 
looked  along  the  line  of  waiting  figures  until  she  saw 
a  young  man  very  simply  dressed.  She  turned  and 
ran  to  him,  and  fell  on  her  knees,  saying, 

"God  of  his  grace,  give  you  long  fife,  0  dear  and 
gentle  Dauphin!" 

The  court  had  tried  to  play  a  trick  upon  her,  but 
Joan  of  Arc  knew  better. 

She  persuaded  the  Dauphin  at  last.  He  gave  his 
orders,  and  she  became  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
armies  of  France.     So  far  she  had  been  able  to  obey 


136  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

the  word  of  God,  as  it  had  come  to  her  through  her 
Voices. 

It  was  at  Blois  that  the  army  made  the  acquaintance 
of  its  new  General.  She  rode  a  white  horse  and  wore 
white  armor.  Her  Uttle  cap  was  crowned  with  nodding 
white  ostrich  plumes.  The  floating  banner  which  she 
carried  was  of  white  satin,  embroidered  with  the  lilies 
of  France.  The  soldiers,  used  to  the  roughness  of 
war,  had  never  seen  anyone  like  her.  She  did  not  look 
like  a  real  person.  They  began  to  think  that  she  must 
indeed  have  been  sent  by  God  to  lead  them  to  victory. 
They  had  been  driven  hard  and  defeated  many  times, 
but  now  they  felt^better.  They  were  no  longer  fright- 
ened men,  they  were  soldiers  worthy  of  France. 

Joan  of  Arc  led  her  army  to  Orleans,  for  long  months 
besieged  by  the  English.  There  she  sent  a  note  to  the 
English  commander.     This  is  part  of  it: 

"Render  to  the  Maid  who  is  sent  by  God  the  keys  of 
all  the  good  towns  you  have  taken  in  France.  She  is 
very  ready  to  make  peace  if  you  will  do  right  by  giving 
up  France  and  paying  for  what  you  have  held.  If  you 
believe  not  the  news  sent  by  God  through  the  Maid, 
wherever  we  shall  meet  you  we  will  strike  boldly  and 
make  such  a  noise  as  has  not  been  in  France  these 
thousand  years.'' 

The  English  commander  repHed  that  if  she  did  not 
clear  out  while  she  had  a  chance,  he  would  catch  her 
and  burn  her;  she  had  much  better  "go  back  to  her 
proper  trade  of  minding  cows." 

Joan  waited  no  longer.  She  ordered  an  attack 
against  the  forts  held  against  Orleans  by  the  Enghsh. 
The  courage  of  the  French  soldiers  never  failed  as  long 
as  she  rode  before  them,  waving  her  sword  and  urging 
them  forward.  The  English  soldiers  were  brave  and 
it  was  hard  to  drive  them  back,  but  Joan  would  never 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD'S   PEOPLE  137 

let  her  men  give  up.  Toward  the  last  of  the  struggle, 
she  was  wounded  and  fell  from  her  horse,  and  the 
French,  no  longer  seeing  her  little  figure  riding  in  the 
thick  of  the  battle,  came  near  losing  the  day.  Joan 
was  lying  on  the  grass  when  she  heard  the  trumpets 
sounding  the  signal  for  a  retreat.  She  dragged  herself 
to  her  horse  and  ordered  a  fresh  charge.  The  men 
rallied,  the  forts  were  taken,  and  Joan  rode  into  Orleans 
in  triumph.     The  siege  was  raised. 

The  people  rang  bells,  they  lighted  bonfires,  they 
poured  into  the  streets  to  welcome  the  maid.  And  now 
for  the  first  time  was  heard  that  name  which  has  clung 
to  Joan  of  Arc  ever  since. 

''Welcome  to  the  Maid  of  Orleans!'' 

Other  victories  followed,  and  the  English  were  com- 
pletely conquered.    Joan  of  Arc  had  saved  France. 

The  Dauphin  rode  with  her  to  Rheims,  and  there,  in 
the  great  cathedral,  she  saw  him  crowned  King  of 
France.  He  was  no  longer  the  Dauphin,  he  was 
Charles  VII.  She  had  fulfilled  the  command  of  God. 
Her  work  was  finished,  she  thought.  She  could  go 
back  to  her  mother  and  her  father,  in  the  little  village 
of  Domremy,  and  sit  once  more  under  the  Fairy  Tree. 
But  now  the  king  Charles  VII  was  turning  to  her,  and 
asking  what  he  could  do,  what  he  could  give  to  her  in 
the  name  of  the  kingdom,  for  all  she  had  done  for 
France. 

Joan  hesitated.  Again  the  king  urged  her.  She 
fell  upon  her  knees. 

''Oh  gentle  King,  if  you  will  speak  the  word,  I  pray 
you  give  commandment  that  my  village,  poor  by 
reason  of  the  war,  may  be  freed  from  paying  taxes." 

This  was  all  she  would  ask.  The  king  gave  his 
command,  and  for  more  than  three  hundred  years, 
Domremy  was  free  from  the  burden  of  taxation.     It 


138  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

was  the  spirit  of  Joan  of  Arc  to  think  only  of  others. 
But  in  the  many  hundred  years  which  have  passed 
between  her  time  and  ours,  her  name  has  never  been 
forgotten.  Every  year,  the  town  of  Orleans  has  a 
celebration  in  her  honor.  But  she  is  more  than  the 
Maid  of  Orleans.  She  is  the  Maid  sent  by  God  to 
save  her  country. 

Expressional  Work 

A  reproduction  of  the  statue  of  Jeanne  d'Arc,  by 
Anna  Vaughn  Hyatt,  is  to  be  pasted  on  the  pupil's 
leaf.  Compare  the  lily,  the  emblem  of  France,  with 
that  of  Florence,  used  in  the  previous  lesson. 

Home  Work 

Boutet  de  Monvel's  "Joan  of  Arc''  has  a  spirited 
set  of  illustrations,  probably  the  best  of  their  kind. 
There  is  also  an  article  in  St.  Nicholas  for  March,  1916, 
by  Grace  Humphrey  on  the  new  statue  of  Jeanne 
d'Arc  by  Anna  Vaughn  Hyatt,  on  Riverside  Drive, 
New  York  City. 

The  Story  of  Cincinnatus,  as  retold  by  James  Bald- 
win in  Fifty  Famous  Stories,  illustrates  a  quality  of 
patriotism  similar  to  that  of  the  Maid  of  Orleans. 


LESSON  24 
THE  MAN  WITHOUT  A  COUNTRY 

The  Purpose 

The  purpose  of  this  famous  story  by  Edward  Everett 
Hale  is  so  obvious  that  little  need  be  said.  In  telling 
it,  remember  that  loyalty  to  God  includes  lesser  loy- 
alties, and  that  patriotism  is  one  of  them. 

The  Approach 

Ask  a  few  questions  to  see  how  much  the  children 
know  of  our  early  history  as  a  nation.  Who  was  our 
first  President?  What  position  did  he  hold  before  he 
was  elected  President? 

There  was  a  man  who  served  in  the  army  under 
Washington  named  Aaron  Burr.  Afterwards,  he  came 
near  being  President  himself.  He  and  Thomas  Jeffer- 
son had  an  equal  number  of  votes.  When  it  was 
finally  decided  in  favor  of  Jefferson,  Burr  was  angry 
and  tried  to  set  up  a  government  of  his  own.  He 
asked  other  men  to  help  him,  and  this  story  is  about 
what  might  have  happened  to  one  of  them. 

The  Man  Without  a  Country 

Philip  Nolan  was  on  trial  for  treason.  Treason, 
you  must  know,  is  a  sin  against  your  country.  It 
means  that  you  try  to  hurt  her,  as  Burr  did  when  he 
attempted  to  set  up  another  government  which  should 
injure  the  United  States, — perhaps  even  take  its  place. 

139 


140  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

It  is  as  wrong  a  thing  to  do  as  if  you  should  hurt  your 
own  mother.  By  the  laws  of  our  government,  if  a 
man  is  found  guilty  of  treason,  he  is  severely  punished. 
Philip  Nolan  was  found  guilty,  and  when  he  was  asked 
by  the  court  if  he  had  anything  to  say  for  himself, 
anything  to  show  that  he  had  always  been  faithful  to 
the  United  States  before  he  followed  Aaron  Burr,  he 
cried  out  in  a  fit  of  anger, 

''The  United  States!  I  wish  I  m.ay  never  hear  of  the 
United  States  again!" 

He  never  did  hear  her  name  but  once  again.  From 
that  moment  till  the  day  he  died,  he  was  a  man  without 
a  country. 

''Prisoner,"  said  the  judge,  "hear  the  sentence  of 
the  Court!  The  Court  decides,  subject  to  the  approval 
of  the  President,  that  you  never  hear  the  name  of  the 
United  States  again." 

Nolan  laughed.  But  nobody  else  laughed.  The 
room  was  very  still.     The  judge  added, 

"Mr.  Marshall,  take  the  prisoner  to  New  Orleans  in 
an  armed  boat,  and  deliver  him  to  the  naval  commander 
there." 

Nolan  was  taken  to  a  government  ship  bound  on  a 
long  voyage.  He  was  not  treated  as  a  prisoner.  He 
might  have  been  a  passenger.  He  had  a  comfortable 
cabin,  he  had  books  and  maps,  he  could  talk  with  the 
other  men  on  board.  But  no  book  of  Nolan's  said  a 
word  about  his  country,  the  United  States  was  cut  out 
of  his  maps,  and  not  a  man  was  allowed  to  mention 
home  when  Nolan  was  near  enough  to  hear. 

After  a  httle,  Nolan  began  to  feel  his  punishment. 
He  had  been  a  bright,  gay,  dashing  fellow,  and,  as  you 
know,  he  had  laughed  when  the  judge  pronounced  his 
sentence;  but  he  soon  found  it  very  hard  never  to  hear 
a  word  from  home,  and  to  feel  that  everyone  with 


CHILDKEN   OF   GOD^S   PEOPLE  141 

whom  he  talked  was  particularly  careful  not  to  speak 
of  the  United  States.  He  must  have  wished  he  had 
not  said  those  words  in  court.  He  grew  desperately 
home-sick.  But  he  had  one  hope;  he  knew  that  the 
ship  must  go  back  sometime.  At  last,  they  stopped 
at  an  island  station  near  America;  but  they  stayed 
there  longer  than  was  necessary.  After  a  week's  delay, 
another  government  ship  came  along,  bound  for 
Europe;  and  poor  Nolan  was  taken  on  board  of  her 
to  begin  another  long  voyage.  He  reaUzed  then,  as  he 
never  had  before,  that  there  was  no  going  home  for  him. 

It  is  said  that  Nolan  was  transferred  some  twenty 
times  in  the  course  of  his  life  from  one  ship  to  another, 
and  that  he  never  came  nearer  than  a  hundred  miles 
to  the  coast  of  America. 

Once,  during  all  these  voyages,  he  had  a  chance  to 
show  his  loyalty  to  the  United  States. 

It  was  during  the  war  of  1812,  when  a  shot  from  the 
enemy's  ship  entered  a  port-hole  and  killed  the  officer 
at  the  gun  and  a  number  of  men.  It  was  a  surprise 
and  the  other  men  did  not  know  what  to  do  at  first. 
All  at  once,  there  was  Nolan,  taking  command  of  the 
gun  as  if  he  were  the  officer  himself,  giving  orders  to 
the  men,  smiling  and  giving  them  courage,  so  that 
they  felt  that  everything  was  all  right  and  would  be 
all  right.  He  loaded  the  gun  with  his  own  hands, 
aimed  it,  and  told  the  men  to  fire.  He  sat  on  the  gun, 
exposed  all  the  time  to  the  enemy's  shots,  and  stayed  in 
command  until  the  enemy  struck.  The  captain  saw 
what  he  had  done,  and  said, 

''I  thank  you,  sir;  I  shall  never  forget  this  day,  and 
you  never  shall." 

When  it  was  all  over,  and  the  captain  had  the  sword 
of  the  enemy's  commander,  he  called  for  Nolan.  And 
when  Nolan  came,  he  said, 


142  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

''Mr.  Nolan,  we  are  all  very  grateful  to  you  to-day; 
you  are  one  of  us  to-day;  you  will  be  named  in  the 
reports." 

The  captain  took  off  his  own  sword  and  gave  it  to 
Nolan,  and  told  him  to  put  it  on.  Nolan  cried  like  a 
little  child.  He  had  not  been  so  honored  since  before 
the  day  when  he  forgot  his  country  and  followed 
Aaron  Burr.  Afterward,  the  captain  tried  to  get  a 
pardon  for  Nolan,  but  it  never  came.  Something  may 
have  happened  to  the  letter. 

But  even  when  Nolan  was  given  the  sword  for 
bravery,  the  name  of  the  United  States  was  not  men- 
tioned. 

But  at  last  the  day  came  when  he  heard  about  his 
country. 

Nolan  never  allowed  anyone  to  enter  his  stateroom. 
His  friends  used  to  wonder  why.  But  one  day,  he  was 
too  sick  to  leave  it,  and  let  the  doctor  come  in;  and  a 
little  later,  the  doctor  called  Nolan's  best  friend, 
Danforth,  saying  that  Nolan  had  asked  to  see  him. 

Danforth  went  in  and  saw  Nolan  lying  in  his  berth. 
On  the  wall  were  the  stars  and  stripes  draped  around 
a  picture  of  Washington  and  Nolan  had  painted  an 
eagle,  with  Hghtnings  blazing  from  his  beak  and  his 
foot  clasping  the  whole  globe. 

''Here,  you  see,  I  have  a  country!"  said  Nolan. 

He  pointed  to  the  foot  of  the  bed,  where  Danforth 
saw  a  great  map  of  the  United  States,  as  Nolan  had 
drawn  it  from  memory. 

"O  Danforth,"  he  said,  "I  know  I  am  dying.  I 
cannot  get  home.  Surely  you  will  tell  me  something 
now?  But  before  you  speak,  let  me  say  what  I  am 
sure  you  know,  that  there  is  not  in  this  ship,  there  is 
not  in  America, — God  bless  her! — a  more  loyal  man 
than  L    There  cannot  be  a  man  who  loves  the  old 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD's   PEOPLE  143 

flag  as  I  do,  or  who  prays  for  it  as  I  do,  or  hopes  for  it 
as  I  do.  But  tell  me  something, — tell  me  everything, 
Danforth,  before  I  die!" 

''Mr.  Nolan,"  said  Danforth,  ''I  will  tell  you  every- 
thing you  ask  about.     Where  shall  I  begin?" 

Nolan  smiled  and  pressed  Danforth's  hand;  and 
Danforth  told  him  all  he  could  of  what  had  happened 
to  the  United  States  for  the  last  fifty  years;  about  the 
new  states,  the  steamboats  and  the  railroads,  the 
telegraph,  the  colleges  and  West  Point  and  the  Naval 
School;  about  Washington  and  the  capitol;  and  es- 
pecially about  the  President,  Abraham  Lincoln. 

Nolan  listened  with  the  greatest  happiness.  When 
Danforth  had  finished,  he  asked  him  to  bring  a  book 
and  read  a  prayer  in  which  God  is  asked  to  bless  the 
President  of  the  United  States.  Then  Nolan  drew  his 
friend  down  and  kissed  him  and  said, 

"Look  in  my  Bible,  Danforth,  when  I  am  gone." 

And  Danforth  went  away. 

An  hour  later,  when  the  doctor  went  in,  he  found 
Nolan  lying  with  a  smile  on  his  face.  He  had  died 
in  his  sleep.  They  found  a  slip  of  paper  in  his  Bible 
where  he  had  marked  the  text: 

"They  desire  a  country,  even  a  heavenly:  wherefore 
God  is  not  ashamed  to  be  called  their  God:  for  he 
hath  prepared  for  them  a  city." 

On  this  slip  of  paper  he  had  written, 

"Will  not  some  one  set  up  a  stone  for  my  memory, 
that  my  disgrace  may  not  be  more  than  I  ought  to 
bear?    Say  on  it: — 

In  Memory  of 

PHILIP  NOLAN, 

Lieutenant  in  the  Army  of  the  United  States. 

He  loved  his  country  as  no  other  man  has  loved  her; 

but  no  man  deserved  less  at  her  hands. 

(Adapted  from  the  story  hy  Edward  Everett  Hale.} 


144  CHILDREN    OF   THE    FATHER 

Expressional  Work 

As  this  is  the  last  of  the  lessons  on  patriotism,  two 
stanzas  of  "America  the  Beautiful/'  by  Katherine  Lee 
Bates,  are  printed  on  the  leaf  for  the  pupil's  note-book. 
While  this  poem  can  be  fully  appreciated  only  by 
mature  minds,  there  is  much  in  it  which  appeals  to  chil- 
dren, and  it  should  be  known  early  as  well  as  late  in 
life.  Read  the  verses  with  the  class  and  talk  about 
them.  Call  up  the  pictures  they  suggest.  What  are 
"spacious"  skies?  City  children  may  not  know. 
What  is  the  color  of  amber?  How  many  have  seen 
the  wind  blowing  over  fields  of  grain?  In  the  second 
stanza,  refer  to  the  early  pilgrims,  sent  by  John  Rob- 
inson. 

Home  Work 

If  the  children  do  not  already  know  our  national 
hymn,  "America,"  by  heart,  this  is  the  time  to  teach 
it  to  them. 

The  story  of  Philip  Nolan  presents  the  negative  side 
of  patriotism,  although  its  teaching  is  positive  enough. 
But  I  would  have  every  child  know  the  story  entitled 
"Two  Boys  and  the  Flag,"  by  Eleanor  Schureman,  in 
;S^.  Nicholas  for  July,  1914.  It  embodies  the  spirit 
of  loyalty  in  the  most  positive  way  possible,  since  it  is 
really  a  story  of  a  struggle  to  cling  to  virtues  in  which 
true  loyalty  consists.  And  the  two  boys  are  real.  They 
are  to  be  met  with  in  every  American  city.  It  will  be 
worth  every  mother's  while  to  send  for  this  number  of 
St.  Nicholas^  if  she  hasn't  it  already. 


LESSON  25 
THE  PEACE-PIPE 

The  Purpose 

As  final  lesson  of  the  group,  this  story  is  intended 
to  teach  that  all  nations  are  alike  children  of  the 
Father.  It  need  not  contradict  in  any  way  the  teach- 
ing of  the  preceding  lessons.  A  healthy  patriotism  is 
necessary,  like  loyalty  to  one's  family;  but  it  does  not 
carry  with  it  hatred  of  all  other  nations  any  more  than 
family  loyalty  means  hostihty  toward  one's  neighbors. 
There  are  many  stories — true  stories  of  the  Great  War 
of  this  century — which  teach  the  futility  of  such  hatred. 
A  few  references  are  given  under  Home  Work.  But  the 
legend  of  the  Peace-Pipe  is  better  for  the  general  lesson 
because  it  is  a  parable,  without  any  suggestions  which 
might  arouse  those  antagonisms  which  are  only  too 
active,  even  among  children. 

The  Approach 

It  will  be  safer  to  make  the  approach  to  this  lesson 
purely  literary.  The  Hiawatha  stories  are  frequently 
used  in  the  public  school  course  for  this  grade.  Ask 
how  many  of  the  children  know  the  story  of  the  Peace- 
Pipe.  Then  re-tell  it,  getting  as  much  help  as  possible 
from  the  pupils. 

The  Peace-Pipe 

This  is  a  story  told  of  days  long  ago,  when  there  was 
not  a  white  man  in  America.  Only  Indians  lived  here, 
but  they  were  many;  and  their  tribes  were  like  the 

145 


146  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

nations  to-day,  living  apart,  sometimes  friendly,  often 
hating  each  other,  quarreling  and  fighting.  But  there 
was  one  great  Being  to  whom  the  Indians  all  alike 
looked  as  we  look  to  God  the  Father,  who  made  us 
and  cares  for  us.  They  named  him  Manito,  and  they 
called  him  the  Master  of  Life. 

It  is  said  that  one  day,  the  Master  of  Life  came 
down  to  the  great  Red  Pipe-Stone  Quarry,  on  the  edge 
of  the  Mountains  of  the  Prairie.  A  river  flowed  from 
under  his  feet,  plunged  over  the  precipice,  and  then 
followed  the  course  through  the  meadows  which 
Manito  marked  out  for  it  with  his  fore-finger.  He 
watched  it  a  moment,  as  it  rippled  against  the  grass, 
and  then  he  stood  straight  and  looked  out  over  the 
prairies,  where  all  was  not  well  with  his  people.  Be- 
cause he  could  see  very  far  and  hear  the  slightest  sound, 
he  knew  that  the  Indians  were  preparing  for  war 
and  that  the  clear  river  would  be  stained  with  the 
blood  of  dying  men  and  perhaps  of  little  children. 

The  Master  of  Life  stooped  then  and  broke  a  frag- 
ment of  red  rock  from  the  quarry.  He  moulded  it 
into  a  pipe-head;  and  because  he  loved  beautiful  things 
and  always  did  everything  well,  he  carved  it  with 
raised  figures.  He  broke  a  long  reed  from  the  edge  of 
the  river,  and  used  it  for  the  stem  of  the  pipe.  He 
filled  the  bowl  with  bark  from  the  red  willow.  Before 
he  was  able  to  light  the  pipe,  he  breathed  upon  the 
boughs  of  the  forest  until  they  rubbed  together  and 
burst  into  flame. 

A  thin,  dark  line  of  smoke  rose  from  the  pipe;  it 
widened  into  a  dense,  blue  cloud;  it  unfolded  in  snow- 
white  masses  over  the  tree-tops;  it  touched  heaven 
itself.  All  over  the  wide  prairie  the  tribes  saw  it,  and 
knew  that  they  were  being  called  to  the  mountains  by 
Manito,  the  Master  of  Life. 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD's   PEOPLE  147 

They  came  just  as  they  were,  all  the  tribes,  red  in 
their  war-paint,  bristling  with  angry  feathers,  eyeing 
each  other  narrowly,  but  waiting  until  after  the  council 
with  Manito  before  they  could  fight  each  other.  For 
when  the  Master  of  Life  called,  they  went  without 
stopping  to  attend  to  other  business. 

The  Master  of  Life  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  quarry 
and  looked  down  upon  them.  He  was  sorry,  for  he 
loved  them  all,  as  a  father  loves  his  children ;  and  their 
quarrels  seemed  to  him  like  the  quarrels  which  we 
sometimes  have  with  each  other.  If  they  would  live 
in  peace,  their  quarrels  would  pass,  as  ours  do;  but  if 
they  killed  each  other,  it  would  be  too  late. 

Manito  stretched  out  his  right  hand,  and  spoke  to 
them. 

''0  my  children!  my  poor  children! 
Listen  to  the  words  of  warning, 
From  the  lips  of  the  Great  Spirit, 
From  the  Master  of  Life,  who  made  you; 

"I  have  given  you  lands  to  hunt  in, 
I  have  given  you  streams  to  fish  in, 
I  have  given  you  bear  and  bison, 
I  have  given  you  roe  and  reindeer, 
Filled  the  marshes  full  of  wild-fowl. 
Filled  the  rivers  full  of  fishes; 
Why  then  are  you  not  contented? 
Why  then  will  you  hunt  each  other? 

''I  am  weary  of  your  quarrels, 
Weary  of  your  wars  and  bloodshed; 
All  your  strength  is  in  your  union, 
All  your  danger  is  in  discord; 
Therefore  be  at  peace  henceforward. 
And  as  brothers  live  together. 


148  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

"Bathe  now  in  the  stream  before  you, 
Wash  the  war-paint  from  your  faces, 
Wash  the  blood-stains  from  your  fingers, 
Bury  your  war-clubs  and  your  weapons, 
Break  the  red  stone  from  this  quarry. 
Mould  and  make  it  into  Peace-Pipes, 
Take  the  reeds  that  grow  beside  you, 
Deck  them  with  your  brightest  feathers, 
Smoke  the  calumet  together, 
And  as  brothers  live  henceforward!" 

The  Indian  warriors  threw  down  their  weapons,  and 
leaped  into  the  river.  Manito  looked  at  it.  On  the 
side  toward  the  mountains  it  was  still  clear  as  crystal; 
beyond,  it  was  dark  red,  but  with  war-paint,  not  with 
the  blood  of  men. 

The  warriors  came  up  from  the  river  clean.  Then 
they  buried  their  weapons  on  its  banks.  Silently, 
they  broke  the  red  stone  from  the  quarry  and  moulded 
it  into  Peace-Pipes.  They  broke  reeds  from  the  bank 
of  the  river  and  decked  them  with  their  brightest  feath- 
ers. And  as  they  smoked,  they  promised  each  other 
to  forget  their  quarrels  and  live  in  peace. 

Manito,  the  Master  of  Life,  smiled  upon  them;  then 
he  vanished  from  sight  in  rolling  clouds  of  smoke. 
But  the  tribes  rode  homeward  side  by  side,  and  there 
was  no  more  war. 

{Adapted  from  The  Song  of  Hiawatha,  by  Henry  Wads- 
worth  Longfellow.) 

After  the  lesson,  read  the  following  verses  from 
Isaiah. 

The  wolf  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard 
shall  lie  down  with  the  kid;  and  the  calf  and  the  young 
lion  and  the  failing  together;  and  a  little  child  shall  lead 
them.    And  the  cow  and  the  bear  shall  feed;  their  young 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD's   PEOPLE  149 

ones  shall  lie  down  together:  and  the  lion  shall  eat  straw 
like  the  ox.  They  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  my 
holy  mountain:  for  the  earth  shall  he  full  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  Lord  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea, 

(Isaiah  11:  6,  7,  9.) 
Tell  the  children  that  this  is  the  same  man  who 
wrote  about  The  Call  (Lesson  14).  Talk  with  them 
about  the  wild  animals,  and  what  usually  happens 
when  a  wolf  comes  near  a  lamb.  Connect  the  passage 
with  the  lesson  story  and  the  peace  kept  by  the  Indians. 

Expressional  Work 

Dramatization:  This  story  is  easily  dramatized. 
The  following  scenes  are  suggested:  Manito  makes  the 
Peace-Pipe;  the  Indians  see  the  smoke  in  the  distance, 
and  start  for  the  mountains;  Manito  addresses  the 
warriors;  they  obey  and  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace. 

For  note-book  work,  a  leaf  is  furnished  for  an  original 
drawing. 

Home  Work 

This  story  makes  an  attractive  game  for  out-doors. 
The  children's  common-sense  should  be  depended 
upon  for  keeping  it  from  being  too  reaUstic.  They 
play  games  of  war;  why  not  of  peace? 

For  correlative  reading,  St.  Nicholas  has  a  story  in 
the  January  issue  for  1916  called  "Marie-Laure,''  by 
Katherine  MacDowell  Rice.  Modern  ''peace-pipes" 
have  been  frequent  in  the  great  European  War.  See 
Kreisler's  Four  Weeks  in  the  Trenches  for  a  friendly 
exchange  of  tobacco  between  Austrians  and  Russians. 


PART  IV 
JESUS  AND  THE  FATHER 


THEME 


Every  good  gift  and  every  perfect  boon  is  from  above, 
coming  down  from  the  Father  of  lights. 

James  1:17. 


JESUS  AND  THE  FATHER 

The  Purpose  of  the  Group 

It  was  Jesus  more  than  any  other  of  God's  prophets 
who  taught  us  to  call  God  our  Father.  The  lessons 
of  this  group  present  the  relationship  between  the 
Father  and  his  children  as  closer,  more  direct  and 
personal,  than  those  we  have  had  before.  Hitherto, 
we  have  seen  God  and  his  children  in  the  world;  now 
we  enter  the  secret  chamber.  It  is  hoped  that  none  of 
the  five  lessons  need  be  omitted.  Unless  Easter  is  very 
late,  they  will  fill  the  month  leading  to  the  Easter 
festival;  but  if  they  extend  beyond  it,  no  harm  will  be 
done. 


152 


LESSON  26 
''THINE  INNER  CHAMBER'' 

The  Purpose 

This  is  a  lesson  on  prayer,  and  is  intended  to  teach 
the  meaning  of  an  intimate  personal  relationship  with 
God.  It  will  be  largely  a  conversation  lesson,  devel- 
oped through  reading  the  selections  printed  on  the 
sheet  for  the  pupil's  note-book,  and  encouraging  the 
children  to  talk  about  them.  In  addition  to  the  say- 
ings of  Jesus  given  here,  the  teacher  should  read  for 
her  own  enrichment  the  section  from  which  they  are 
taken,— Matthew  6:  5-15. 

The  Approach 

Review  the  story  of  the  boy  Jesus  in  the  temple. 
Let  the  class  tell  it,  each  child  contributing  something. 
In  preparing  the  lesson  yourself,  reduce  this  story  to 
questions,  so  that  you  will  be  better  able  to  prompt  the 
pupils,  and  help  them  to  keep  a  logical  order  in  the 
teUing.  How  old  was  Jesus?  Why  had  he  never 
been  to  Jerusalem  before?  How  long  a  journey  was  it? 
What  did  they  do  on  the  way?  What  did  Jesus  like 
best  in  Jerusalem?  How  often  did  he  go  there?  What 
happened  when  his  parents  had  started  for  home? 
Where  did  they  find  him?    What  did  he  say? 

Stop  the  telling  of  the  story  with  the  words,  "My 
Father's  house."  Tell  them  that  Jesus  always  thought 
of  God  in  this  way.  God  was  his  Father.  When  he  was 
glad  or  unhappy,  he  told  God  about  it.     If  he  needed 

153 


154  CHILDREN    OF   THE    FATHER 

anything,  he  asked  God  for  it.  If  God  gave  it  to  him, 
he  thanked  him;  if  it  wasn't  given,  he  knew  that  he 
hadn't  needed  it  after  all.  When  he  grew  older  and 
began  to  teach,  he  told  people  that  God  was  their 
Father,  too. 

The  Presentation 

Some  of  the  things  he  said  are  printed  on  your  leaf 
for  to-day.  (Distribute  the  leaves  and  ask  one  of  the 
pupils  to  read  the  first  passage.) 

But  thou,  when  thou  prayest,  enter  into  thine  inner 
chamber,  and  having  shut  thy  door,  pray  to  thy  Father  who 
is  in  secret, 

{Matthew  6:6.) 

Where  do  we  say  prayers?  Are  we  alone?  Often 
not.  (Let  the  children  say  who  are  with  them,  at 
home  or  in  church  or  in  school.)  Do  we  think  of  the 
people  about  us  when  we  are  praying? — or  when  we 
are  listening  to  the  prayer  of  the  minister?  We  ought 
not  to.  Why?  Because  we  are  talking  to  God.  Is 
it  easy  to  do  two  things  at  once?  Not  if  we  do  them 
well.  If  we  think  of  the  pictures  on  the  wall  or  what 
dress  our  friend  has  on  when  we  are  trying  to  pray  in 
Sunday  school,  I'm  afraid  we  might  not  make  God 
hear.  It  is  really  easier  to  pray  when  we  are  quite 
alone.  When  Jesus  had  been  preaching  all  day,  and 
hundreds  of  people  had  followed  him  about,  eager  to 
catch  a  gHmpse  of  his  face  or  to  touch  the  edge  of  his 
cloak,  he  used  to  slip  away  from  them  all  at  evening, 
and  climb  a  hill  where  he  could  watch  the  stars  come  out, 
and  be  alone  with  God.  Do  you  remember  some  one 
else,  who  found  God  on  a  hill  at  night?  Yes,  it  was 
Jacob  at  Bethel.     He  was  afraid  at  first;  but  I  am  sure 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD  S    PEOPLE  155 

Jesus  was  never  afraid.  He  knew  that  God  was  taking 
care  of  him,  and  he  hked  to  be  alone  with  him  so  much 
that  he  sometimes  stayed  there  all  night.  When  he 
saw  the  red  glow  of  the  sunrise  from  his  hill,  he  would 
go  back  to  his  friends,  feehng  strong  and  rested.  He 
was  glad  of  the  long,  sunny  days  because  he  could  do 
so  much  to  help  other  people;  glad  of  the  long,  starry 
nights  because  they  brought  him  so  close  to  his  heavenly 
Father.  When  you  go  to  sleep  at  night,  you  must 
think  of  that. 

What  do  you  think  it  means  to  "enter  into  thine 
inner  chamber"?  Is  it  a  room?  It  might  be,  but  it 
means — going  to  a  hill  at  night?  Yes,  only  if  you  had 
someone  with  you  who  talked  all  the  time,  that  wouldn't 
be  entering  into  an  inner  chamber,  would  it?  Alone! 
Yes,  that  is  the  word.  We  must  be  alone  with  God, 
whether  we  are  actually  alone,  as  Jesus  was  on  the 
hill,  or  are  thinking  only  of  what  we  are  saying  to  God, 
as  when  we  pray  in  Sunday  school.  Jesus  wasn't 
always  alone  when  he  prayed.  He  had  all  his  disciples 
about  him  when  he  said  for  them  what  we  call  the 
Lord's  Prayer. 

What  are  the  next  verses  printed  on  your  leaf? 

(Go  through  the  prayer,  verse  by  verse,  making  sure 
the  children  understand  the  meaning  of  the  difficult 
words,  such  as  ^'hallowed".) 

How  many  of  you  can  say  it  without  reading  it? 
Let  us  close  our  eyes,  enter  into  our  inner  chamber, 
and  say  it  to  our  heavenly  Father. 


Hand-Work 

The  decorative  border  may  be  colored,  either  in 
class  or  at  home. 


156  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

Home  Work 

It  is  suggested  that  the  passage  on  entering  into  one^s 
inner  chamber  be  memorized.  The  children  are  sup- 
posed to  know  the  Lord's  Prayer  by  heart,  at  this  age. 

Reading  references  from  The  Little  Child  at  the 
Breakfast  Table  are  VIII,  p.  21,  X,  p.  23,  XI,  p.  24, 
XXII,  p.  37. 


LESSON  27 
THE  PHARISEE  AND  THE  PUBLICAN 

The  Purpose 

This  is  also  a  lesson  on  prayer.  To  the  thought  of 
the  preceding  lesson  is  added  that  of  modesty  before 
God.  We  should  not  boast  of  the  good  deeds  we  have 
done  before  our  heavenly  Father. 

The  Approach 

Review  the  passage  on  praying  in  secret.  Have  the 
class  repeat  it.  If  anyone  has  already  memorized 
the  verse  at  home,  let  him  lead  the  others  as  if  he  were 
the  teacher.  Ask  again  what  it  means,  and  make  any 
further  explanations  necessary.  Pupils  sometimes  ap- 
pear to  forget  from  one  lesson  to  another,  although 
their  apparent  forgetfulness  is  often  only  lack  of  abihty 
to  express  themselves. 

Tell  the  class  something  of  the  people  to  whom 
Jesus  talked.  First  there  were  his  disciples.  They 
were  his  best  friends,  and  went  about  the  country  with 
him,  helping  him  where  they  could.  Then  there  were 
the  poor  people,  who  loved  him  and  were  always  glad 
to  hear  him  when  he  taught  them.  Also,  there  were 
other  people  called  Pharisees.  They  were  well  edu- 
cated, very  religious,  and  exceedingly  careful  about  the 
company  they  kept.  If  they  were  living  today,  they 
would  go  to  church  every  Sunday,  give  a  great  deal  of 
money  for  the  support  of  the  church,  and  would  not 
have  much  to  do  with  people  who  attended  any  other 

157 


158  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

church.  In  Jesus'  time,  they  particularly  looked  down 
upon  a  class  of  people  called  publicans.  These  men 
collected  taxes,  and  the  Pharisees  hated  them  so  that 
they  used  to  speak  of  publicans  and  sinners  in  one 
breath.     Yet  Jesus  had  friends  who  were  pubHcans. 

Who,  do  you  think,  of  all  these  people, — disciples, 
the  poor,  Pharisees,  pubHcans, — would  be  least  apt  to 
remember  what  Jesus  said?  If  they  were  in  our  class, 
which  of  them  would  have  the  hardest  time  under- 
standing the  passage  we  have  repeated  together? 

(Do  not  press  the  class  for  answers  until  after  you 
have  told  the  story.  The  questions  are  part  of  the 
preparation  for  a  better  understanding  of  the  story.) 

Jesus  told  a  story  one  day  which  will  show  you  what 
he  thought  about  it. 


The  Pharisee  and  the  Publican 

Two  men  went  up  into  the  temple  to  pray;  the  one 
a  Pharisee,  and  the  other  a  publican.  The  Pharisee 
stood  and  prayed  thus  with  himself.  ^^God,  I  thank 
thee,  that  I  am  not  like  other  men,  getting  money  that 
doesn^t  belong  to  them,  like  this  pubUcan.  I  go  reg- 
ularly to  the  temple,  every  year  I  give  to  thee  a  tenth 
of  all  my  property. '^  But  the  pubKcan,  standing  at 
a  distance,  would  not  so  much  as  lift  up  his  eyes  to 
heaven,  but  struck  his  breast,  and  said,  *^God,  be 
merciful  to  me,  a  sinner.'^  I  say  unto  you,  this  man 
went  down  to  his  house  nearer  to  God  than  the  other; 
for  everyone  that  exalte th  himself  shall  be  humbled; 
but  he  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted. 

(Adapted  from  Luke  18:  9-14*) 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD'S   PEOPLE  159 

Application 

What  did  the  Pharisee  ask  for?  What  did  he  say- 
to  God?  Do  you  notice  that  Jesus  said  that  he  prayed 
' Vith  himself"?  Does  your  father  Hke  to  have  you  tell 
him  how  much  better  you  are  than  the  other  children? 
Did  the  Pharisee  have  his  mind  wholly  on  his  prayer? 
Why  not?  (He  must  have  had  one  eye  on  the  publican 
to  mention  him.) 

Tell  how  Jesus  warned  his  followers  not  to  pray 
standing  on  street-corners,  '^that  they  might  be  seen 
of  men."  (Matthew  6:  5).  If  the  class  has  had  the 
story  of  the  Widow's  Mites,  recall  it,  to  show  how 
conspicuous  was  the  giving  of  the  rich  men.  (Mark 
12:  41-44).  It  isn't  the  giving  which  is  wrong,  but 
wishing  everyone  to  know  that  we  give.  We  caU  it 
boasting. 

What  did  the  publican  think  of  himself?  Do  you 
think  he  was  really  a  sinner?  Perhaps  he  was,  but  it  is 
better  to  be  sorry  for  the  little  wrong  things  we  have 
done,  than  to  forget  them  and  be  proud  because  we 
have  done  a  few  Httle  good  ones.  God  will  thiuk  more 
of  us.  That  is  the  meaning  of  the  last  sentence  in  the 
story.  Everyone  that  thinks  a  great  deal  of  himself 
shall  be  sorry;  but  he  that  is  sorry  for  the  wrong  things 
he  has  done,  shall  be  lifted  up  and  made  glad;  for  his 
heavenly  Father  will  hear  him  and  answer  his  prayer. 

Expressional  Work 

The  skeleton  story  is  more  directly  like  the  narrative 
in  Luke  than  the  adaptation.  Explain  that  tithes 
means  a  tenth  given  each  year,  that  an  extortioner 
gets  money  unjustly,  and  that  the  Pharisee  had  the 
publican  in  mind  when  he  said  it.  People  often  think 
that  they  are  taxed  more  than  they  should  be. 


160  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

Home  Work 

Review  with  the  children  the  story  of  the  Pharisee 
and  the  pubhcan.  A  picture  which  illustrates  it  very- 
well  is  by  Dore,  (Wilde's  Bible  Pictures,  120  Boylston 
St.,  Boston,  Mass.) 

A  supplementary  story  is  Laura  E.  Richard's  parable, 
^^A  Misunderstanding,"  in  The  Golden  Windows. 


LESSON  28 

'^SEEK,  AND  YE  SHALL  FIND" 

The  Purpose 

Many  little  children  begin  by  believing  implicitly 
that  God  will  give  them  anything  they  pray  for,  and  the 
disappointments  which  follow  are  among  the  hardest 
of  problems,  both  for  mother  and  teacher.  This 
lesson  offers  a  possible  solution.  The  sick  man  had 
perfect  confidence  in  the  power  of  Jesus  to  heal  him; 
but  it  required  considerable  effort  on  the  part  of  his 
friends  to  bring  him  into  the  presence  of  Jesus.  It  is 
not  enough  to  have  faith;  we  must  do  our  part.  The 
words  of  Jesus,  "Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you,"  are 
followed  directly  by  the  command,  "Seek,  and  ye  shall 
find";  and  seeking  means  action. 

The  Approach 

Have  you  ever  asked  God  for  anything  which  you 
didn't  receive?  Why  do  you  think  he  didn't  give  it 
to  you? 

Perhaps  you  didn't  need  it,  or  it  might  have  done 
you  harm.  If  the  baby  wanted  to  take  a  live  coal  out 
of  the  fire-place,  you  wouldn't  let  him  do  it,  although 
he  might  think  he  wanted  it  so  much  that  he  would 
cry  when  you  pulled  him  away. 

Or  perhaps  there  is  another  reason  why  God  doesn't 
always  give  us  what  we  ask  for.  I  hope  you  can  tell  me 
what  it  is,  after  you  have  heard  this  story. 

161 


162  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

The  Sick  Man  of  Capernaum 

Capernaum  was  a  fishing  town  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 
Jesus  was  well  known  there.  He  had  preached  in  the 
synagogue.  He  had  visited  at  Peter^s  house.  He  had 
healed  many  who  were  sick. 

So  when  he  came  back  to  Capernaum,  after  preaching 
in  other  parts  of  Galilee,  the  report  spread,  and  the 
people  flocked  to  the  house  in  which  he  was  staying;  for 
they  wished  to  lose  no  word  of  what  he  might  say. 

Now  there  was  a  sick  man  in  Capernaum,  who  had 
been  waiting  eagerly  for  Jesus  to  come  back.  This  man 
had  to  lie  flat  on  his  back,  day  and  night.  It  was 
hard  to  bear,  but  he  was  fortunate  in  having  four 
loyal  friends,  one  for  each  corner  of  his  bed.  When 
they  learned  that  Jesus  was  in  the  town,  they  lifted 
the  sick  man  and  carried  him  down  the  narrow  street 
until  they  came  to  the  house.  For  they  were  sure  that 
if  their  friend  could  once  come  near  Jesus,  he  would  be 
healed,  as  so  many  others  had  been  before  him. 

The  bed  was  easy  to  carry,  for  it  was  not  like  ours. 
It  was  nothing  more  than  a  heavy  quilt,  or  soft  rug, 
which  lay  on  the  floor.  When  they  lifted  it,  the  man 
lay  comfortably,  as  if  he  were  being  carried  in  a  ham- 
mock. He  thought,  as  they  went  on,  coming  nearer 
and  nearer  to  Jesus,  how  soon  he  would  be  able  to 
walk,  and  perhaps  carry  his  bed  home  himself. 

But  when  they  came  to  the  house,  there  was  such  a 
crowd  about  the  door  that  they  could  not  get  in! 
It  would  have  been  hard  for  one  man  to  elbow  his  way 
through,  but  for  four  men  carrying  another  on  a  bed, 
it  was  impossible.     What  could  they  do? 

Then  one  of  them  saw  that  they  could  edge  their 
way  along  the  side  of  the  house  to  the  back,  where  an 
outside  staircase  led  to  the  roof.     This  was  not  nearly 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD's   PEOPLE  163 

SO  easy  as  carrying  their  friend  along  the  street,  for 
the  staircase  was  narrow  and  had  no  rail.  They  went 
up  very  slowly,  and  when  they  finally  reached  the  top 
in  safety,  I  think  they  must  have  laid  the  sick  man 
down  with  a  sigh  of  relief. 

But  even  then,  their  work  was  not  done.  Their 
friend  wished  to  be  brought  directly  before  Jesus. 
There  was  only  one  thing  to  do.  They  made  a  hole 
in  the  roof,  tied  ropes  to  the  four  comers  of  the  bed, 
and  let  the  sick  man  slowly  down  until  he  lay  at  Jesus' 
feet. 

And  Jesus?    We  can  believe  that  he  stopped  talking 
when  he  saw  a  hole  being  made  in  the  roof  over  his 
head.     He  watched  to  see  what  would  happen,  and  the 
crowd  watched  with  him.     When  the  sick  man  was 
lowered,   it  was  very  still  in   the  house,   and  Jesus 
thought  how  much  this  man  must  want  to  see  him, 
and  what  good  friends  he  must  have,  to  have  taken  so 
much  trouble.     Many  men  would  have  turned  back 
when  they  found  they  could  not  get  through  the  door. 
Then  Jesus  healed  the  sick  man,  saying  to  him, 
^^ Arise,  take  up  thy  bed,  and  go  unto  thy  house." 
The  man  got  up,  took  the  bed  upon  his  shoulders, 
and  went  out  into  the  street. 

{Adapted  from  Mark  2:  1-12.) 

Application 

What  was  it  that  the  sick  man  wanted?  How  did 
he  get  it? 

Now  who  can  tell  me  a  reason  why  we  don't  always 
get  what  we  pray  for?  Yes;  because  we  fail  to  work 
hard  enough  ourselves.  In  this  case,  the  man's  friends 
worked  for  him  because  he  wasn't  able  to  walk,  and 


164  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

often  other  people  help  us;  but  we  too  must  do  all  that 
we  can.  I  feel  sure  that  the  sick  man  in  the  story 
was  patient,  and  encouraged  the  men  who  were  carrying 
him,  and  that  he  thanked  them  afterward. 

Expressional  Work 

Read  the  verses  (Matthew  7:  7-9),  which  are  printed 
on  a  leaf  for  the  note-book,  with  a  capital  to  be  colored. 

Home  Work 

The  verses  for  the  note-book  are  valuable  memory 
work  for  children  of  eight.  They  may  be  learned 
separately,  or  as  a  passage. 

The  story  of  Ruth  (Ruth  1,  2)  is  used  in  the  text-book 
'^Living  Together/^  which  precedes  this  in  the  course, 
and  it  would  be  well  to  review  it  in  this  connection. 
Ruth  gave  herself  in  service  for  Naomi,  and  her  hard 
work  brought  reward. 


LESSON  29 

THE  PRODIGAL  SON 

The  Purpose 

The  Parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son  is  told  here  to  show 
the  love  of  the  Father  for  the  child  who  goes  wrong. 
It  also  teaches  that  the  child  must  acknowledge  his 
wrong-doing  and  be  sorry  for  it  before  he  can  realize 
the  Father's  love. 

The  Approach 

I  once  knew  a  little  girl  who  used  sometimes  to  do 
things  which  she  thought  her  mother  and  father  would 
not  like.  She  was  usually  afraid  to  tell  at  first,  but 
she  never  could  be  quite  happy  until  she  did  tell. 
I'll  not  tell  you  what  she  did.  It  wouldn't  be  fair  to 
the  little  girl.     But  I  suppose  you  know  how  she  felt. 

The  story  this  morning  is  about  a  boy  who  lived  a 
long  time  ago;  he  would  not  mind  our  knowing — 
especially  since  it  is  a  story  which  Jesus  told  his  dis- 
ciples. 

The  Prodigal  Son 

There  was  once  a  father  who  had  two  sons.  The 
older  of  the  two  was  a  good  boy,  who  never  gave  his 
father  any  trouble;  but  the  younger  was  restless. 
He  wanted  more  money,  so  that  he  could  spend  all 
he  wished,  instead  of  having  to  stop  and  think  as  we 
do  when  our  fathers  give  us  only  an  allowance.  He 
went  to  his  father  and  asked  him  to  give  him  what  he 

165 


166  CHILDREN    OF   THE    FATHER 

intended  to  leave  him  in  his  will.  The  father  was 
sorry  that  his  son  was  in  such  a  hurry  to  spend  his 
money,  but  he  divided  his  property,  giving  half  to  the 
older  son  and  half  to  the  younger;  and  for  a  time,  the 
restless  son  was  more  contented. 

But  his  contentment  didn't  last  long. 

*'I  am  so  tired  of  this  commonplace  little  town 
where  I  have  lived  all  my  life,''  he  said,  "so  tired  of 
seeing  the  same  houses,  the  same  people  day  after  day 
in  the  same  narrow  streets.  I  really  believe  I  could 
tell  how  many  paving  stones  there  are  in  each  street. 
I  will  go  away  to  cities  where  the  streets  are  wide  and 
smooth,  where  the  houses  are  high  with  beautiful 
porches,  where  the  people  are  gay  and  always  ready 
for  a  good  time." 

He  went  away  the  very  next  morning. 

He  enjoyed  himself  at  jBrst  just  as  he  had  expected 
he  would.  He  was  welcomed  because  he  spent  his 
money  freely.  He  gave  dinners  which  cost  a  great 
deal,  and  he  dressed  extravagantly.  He  forgot  all 
his  father  had  taught  him.  He  was  having  too  good  a 
time  to  think  of  his  father  at  all. 

One  morning  he  woke  up  to  find  that  he  had  spent 
every  penny.  He  went  out,  hoping  to  borrow  from  the 
friends  who  had  come  so  often  to  his  dinners;  but  when 
they  found  that  he  was  poor,  they  were  unwilling  to 
lend  him  money.  He  had  to  sell  his  fine  clothes  to  get 
food,  and  at  last  even  those  were  gone.  The  time  had 
come  when  he  must  work  for  his  living. 

He  went  to  a  farmer  and  asked  him  to  employ  him  as 
a  servant.  He  was  sent  out  into  the  fields  to  look  after 
the  pigs. 

This  was  a  fall  indeed  for  the  fine  gentleman  who  had 
always  had  everything  he  wished  for.  But  worse  was 
to  come.     The  crops  failed,  and  there  was  httle  for  any- 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD's   PEOPLE  167 

one  to  eat,  even  those  who  had  money.  The  poor 
servant  looking  after  the  pigs  was  very  hungry.  He 
wondered  if  he  might  not  eat  the  husks  which  he  fed 
to  the  swine. 

All  this  time,  he  had  been  ashamed  to  go  back  to  his 
father.  Yet  if  he  had  only  known  it,  that  father  was 
watching  the  road  by  which  his  son  had  gone  away, 
watching  and  waiting,  hoping  that  one  day  he  might 
see  him  coming  back. 

At  last  the  son  came  to  his  senses.     He  cried, 

"How  many  hired  servants  of  my  father  have  enough 
and  to  spare,  and  I  perish  here  with  hunger!  I  will 
arise  and  go  to  my  father,  and  will  say  to  him,  Tather, 
I  have  sinned  against  heaven  and  in  thy  sight:  I  am 
no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son;  make  me  one  of 
thy  hired  servants.'  '^ 

So  the  prodigal  son  went  home,  but  when  he  was  yet 
a  long  way  off,  his  father  saw  him,  and  he  ran  to  meet 
him  and  took  him  in  his  arms,  rags  and  all,  and 
kissed  him. 

' 'Father, "  began  the  son  brokenly,  "I  have  sinned 
against  heaven  and  in  thy  sight:  I  am  no  more  worthy 
to  be  called  thy  son.'' 

But  he  stopped  there,  for  his  father  was  calling  to 
a  servant, 

"Bring  forth  quickly  the  best  robe,  and  put  it  on  him: 
and  put  a  ring  on  his  hand  and  shoes  on  his  feet;  and 
let  us  eat  and  be  merry:  for  this  my  son  was  dead  and 
is  alive  again;  he  was  lost  and  is  found." 

(Adapted  from  Luke  15:  1U2Q 

Application 

What  Father  do  you  think  Jesus  meant  in  this  story? 
Yes,   God.     He  meant  to  tell  us  that  our  heavenly 


168  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

Father  never  forgets  any  of  us,  and  that  when  we  do 
wrong,  he  still  loves  us  and  waits  for  us  to  say  we  are 
sorry  so  that  he  can  take  us  back.  But  I  think  he 
meant  something  else.  It  isn't  enough  to  tell  our  heav- 
enly Father  we  are  sorry,  is  it?  We  must  tell  our  father 
and  mother  on  earth,  or  else  the  people  to  whom  we  have 
done  wrong.  That  is  one  of  the  ways  in  which  we  can 
show  God  that  we  really  are  sorry. 

Expressional  Work 

The  parable  is  printed  on  the  pupils'  leaves  for  a 
reading  lesson,  with  the  usual  decorative  border  for 
color  work. 

Home  Work 

The  Twenty-third  Psalm  should  be  read  in  connec- 
tion with  this  lesson.  Tell  the  children  that  the  writer 
of  this  psalm  trusted  God  as  the  son  in  the  story  came 
to  trust  his  Father.  The  last  line  is  especially  sig- 
nificant. 


LESSON  30 

THE  LAST  SUPPER 

The  Purpose 

The  most  impressive  thing,  humanly  speaking,  about 
the  Last  Supper,  is  the  loneliness  of  Jesus.  Leonardo 
da  Vinci  realized  this  when  he  painted  the  scene,  mak- 
ing the  excited  disciples  sway  to  the  right  and  left  of 
the  Master,  so  that  he  sits  alone.  One  of  his  friends 
had  betrayed  him;  he  is  about  to  go  into  that  unknown 
country  where  the  faithful  friends  can  not  follow  at 
once.  Yet,  ^'in  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions.'' 
The  faith  of  Jesus  in  his  Father  fills  all  the  lonely, 
empty  space  with  warm  light.  It  is  the  time  in  all 
the  story  of  his  life  when  he  comes  nearest  to  God. 

The  Approach 

Children  rightly  give  little  thought  to  death.  They 
are  concerned  with  the  affairs  of  this  life,  although 
they  do  stop,  now  and  then,  to  ask  the  eternal  question. 
But  the  surer  approach  would  be  to  ask  if  they  have 
ever  been  lonely.  Perhaps  they  have  been  away  from 
home  and  wanted  their  mothers.  By  recalling  such 
a  want,  they  can  better  appreciate  Jesus'  instinctive 
longing  for  his  heavenly  Father,  in  his  great  loneliness. 

The  Last  Supper 

Do  you  remember  how  Jesus  went  to  Jerusalem  when 
he  was  a  boy?  Now  he  was  a  man;  but  he  had  come  to 
Jerusalem  again  at  the  same  season  of  the  year.  Prob- 

169 


170  CHILDREN    OF   THE    FATHER 

ably  he  thought  of  that  day  when  he  came  up  from 
Nazareth  with  his  father  and  mother,  and  saw  the  city 
crowded  with  people.  It  was  crowded  now.  All  day, 
men  and  women  and  little  children  swarmed  up  and 
down  the  narrow  streets  and  climbed  the  steps  to  the 
temple.  At  night,  Jesus  and  the  twelve  disciples  had 
to  go  outside  to  find  a  place  to  sleep. 

All  the  week,  Jesus  had  been  teaching  in  the  courts 
of  the  temple.  Many  had  heard  him  and  were  ready 
to  follow  him;  but  the  chief  priests  and  the  Pharisees 
were  afraid  of  him.  He  said  things  they  did  not  like; 
his  friends  were  ready  to  make  him  King  of  the  Jews. 
Yet  they  dared  not  arrest  him  in  the  city,  for  fear  the 
people  would  become  a  howling  mob  to  save  him. 
They  must  wait  until  they  could  find  out  where  he 
spent  the  night,  that  they  might  arrest  him  secretly. 
And  at  last,  Judas  Iscariot,  one  of  the  twelve,  went 
to  the  chief  priests  and  the  Pharisees  and  told  them 
where  they  could  find  Jesus, — told  them  for  thirty 
pieces  of  silver ! 

It  was  Thursday  evening,  the  night  when  all  the 
people  who  had  come  to  Jerusalem  ate  supper  together. 
This  was  the  day  of  the  week  when  they  thanked  God 
especially  for  his  goodness  in  caring  for  them.  The 
Twelve  came  to  Jesus  and  asked  him  where  they 
should  go  to  eat  their  supper  of  thanksgiving. 

'^Go  into  the  city,"  said  Jesus,  ^'and  there  shall  meet 
you  a  man  bearing  a  pitcher  of  water;  follow  him; 
and  wherever  he  shall  enter  in,  say  to  the  goodman  of 
the  house,  The  Master  saith.  Where  is  my  guest- 
chamber,  where  I  shall  eat  the  Passover  with  my 
disciples?'  And  he  will  himself  show  you  a  large,  upper 
room,  furnished;  there  make  ready." 

The  disciples  went  into  Jerusalem,  and  found  the 
room  as  Jesus  had  said.     They  prepared  for  the  supper, 


CHILDREN   OF   GOD's   PEOPLE  171 

and  at  evening,  they  met  there  and  sat  down.  All 
over  the  city,  people  were  eating  happily  together; 
but  Jesus  felt  very  lonely.  He  knew,  what  the  others 
did  not  know,  what  Judas  had  told  the  chief  priests; 
he  believed  that  when  he  was  arrested,  he  would  be 
put  to  death,  and  that  this  was  the  last  supper  he 
would  ever  eat  with  his  friends. 

He  must  tell  them  presently;  but  first  he  would  do 
some  little  thing  for  them,  to  show  his  love.  Their 
feet  were  tired  and  dusty  from  tramping  about  all  day, 
so  Jesus  took  a  towel  and  basin  of  water,  and  bathed 
the  feet  first  of  one,  then  of  another  of  the  disciples, 
until  all  the  twelve  were  clean.  And  at  first,  they 
protested,  especially  Peter.  Why  should  their  beloved 
Master  wait  upon  them?  It  would  have  been  m.uch 
more  fitting  if  they  had  bathed  his  feet  and  taken  care 
of  him.  But  he  told  them  to  care  for  each  other  in 
the  days  to  come,  to  serve  each  other  as  he  was  serving 
them. 

They  began  to  eat  supper,  and  as  they  were  eating, 
Jesus  said, 

"I  say  unto  you  that  one  of  you  shall  betray  me." 

They  were  "exceeding  sorrowful' '  and  they  looked 
at  each  other  saying,  "Is  it  I?"     But  Jesus  said, 

"The  hand  of  him  that  betray eth  me  is  with  me  on 
the  table." 

And  again  they  questioned  each  other,  wondering 
which  of  them  could  do  such  a  thing. 

"Is  it  I,  Master?"  said  Judas.     And  Jesus  replied, 

"Thou  hast  said." 

Judas  rose  and  left  the  room. 

There  were  windows  in  the  large  room,  but  no  light 
came  through  them  now.  It  was  night.  Jesus  could 
remember  the  nights  he  had  spent  on  the  quiet  hills, 
alone  with  his   heavenly   Father:    and    although   he 


172  CHILDREN    OF   THE    FATHER 

had  never  been  so  lonely  in  his  Hfe,  his  Father  had 
never  seemed  so  near.  Then  he  began  to  feel  less  lonely, 
since  he  was  going  to  his  Father  so  soon.  He  naust  tell 
his  friends  how  he  felt  about  it.  They  looked  very  sad  in- 
deed, since  they  had  heard  about  Judas.  They  too  were 
beginning  to  understand  that  this  was  the  last  supper. 

*^Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled/'  said  Jesus.  ''In 
my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions;  if  it  were  not 
so,  I  would  have  told  you;  I  go  to  prepare  a  place 
for  you,  .  .  .  that  where  I  am,  ye  may  be  also.  For 
ye  know  where  I  am  going,  and  ye  know  the  way." 

Then  one  of  the  disciples,  named  Thomas,  said, 

''Master,  we  know  not  where  thou  art  going;  how 
can  we  know  the  way?" 

Jesus  said, 

"If  ye  obey  my  commandments  and  keep  my  word, 
ye  will  find  the  way  to  my  Father." 

Another  of  the  disciples,  Philip,  said, 

"Master,  show  us  the  Father,  and  we  shall  be 
satisfied." 

Jesus  said  to  him, 

"Hast  thou  not  understood,  Philip,  all  this  time  that 
I  have  been  with  you,  that  the  Father  works  through 
me?    Why,  then,  dost  thou  say,  'Show  us  the  Father?'  " 

And  he  told  them  again  that  they  must  not  be 
troubled  because  he  was  going  to  the  Father,  and  that 
if  they  loved  him,  they  must  live  as  he  had  taught 
them  and  teach  others. 

So  they  rose  and  sang  a  hymn  together  before  they 
went  out  into  the  darkness. 

How  well  the  disciples  kept  the  words  of  Jesus  we 
know;  for  in  after  years  they  wrote  these  words  down, 
and  we  to-day  understand  also  how  close  to  his  heavenly 
Father  Jesus  was,  although  he  lived  on  earth  nearly 
two  thousand  years  ago. 


CHILDREN    OF   GOD's    PEOPLE  173 

Expressional  Work 

The  text,  while  not  required  for  memory  work,  is 
printed  on  the  pupil's  leaf,  with  a  decorative  capital 
to  be  colored: 

"A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  ye  love 
one  another/' 

(John  13:  34.) 

Home  Work 

There  is  so  much  supplementary  reading  possible 
for  this  lesson  that  it  is  difficult  to  choose.  The 
thirteenth  chapter  of  I  Corinthians  has  many  phrases 
appealing  to  children,  and  it  will  do  them  no  harm  to 
hear  the  passages  which  are  as  yet  beyond  their  under- 
standing. Leigh  Hunt's  "Abou  Ben  Adhem,"  (in 
Apples  of  Gold  by  Clara  Bancroft  Beatley)  is  suitable 
for  this  grade.  Section  X,  page  23,  of  The  Little 
Child  at  the  Breakfast  Table,  has  a  poem  by  W.  C. 
Gannett,  called  ''In  the  Father's  House,"  which 
expresses  perfectly  the  ''many  mansion"  idea. 


PART   V 
DOERS  OF  THE  WORD 


THEME 


Be  ye  doers  of  the  word,  and  not  hearers  only. 

James  1:22. 


DOERS  OF  THE  WORD 

The  Purpose  of  the  Group 

Jesus  was  above  all  a  practical  teacher.  The 
words  near  the  close  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  are 
significant. 

Every  one  therefore  who  heareth  these  words  of  mine, 
and  doeth  them,  shall  he  likened  unto  a  wise  man,  who 
built  his  house  upon  the  rock:  and  the  rain  descended, 
and  the  floods  came,  and  the  winds  blew,  and  heat  upon 
that  house;  and  it  fell  not:  for  it  was  founded  upon  the 
rock 

(Matthew  72:J^,25.) 

This  final  group  of  lessons  contains  stories  of  the 
Father's  children  who  fulfill  the  word  through  their 
deeds;  they  not  only  hear,  they  act.  The  theme  of 
each  lesson  is  taken  from  the  teachings  of  Jesus. 
While  the  stories  are  in  only  two  instances  taken  from 
the  Bible,  it  is  hoped  that  they  will  make  more  vivid 
the  passages  they  illustrate,  and  strengthen  the  rela- 
tionship between  the  children  and  the  great  Leader  of 
our  faith. 


176 


LESSON  31 

THE  STORY  OF  STEPHEN 

The  Purpose 
"He  that  loseth  his  life  for  my  sake  shall  find  it." 

{Matthew  10:  39.) 

This  saying  of  Jesus  to  his  disciples  was  carried  out 
to  the  letter  in  the  case  of  Stephen,  the  first  of  the 
Followers  of  the  Way  to  die  for  his  faith.  The  story 
is  told  here  as  an  inspiring  example  of  pure  courage, — 
the  courage  of  a  man  who  followed  his  Master  without 
counting  the  cost. 

The  Approach 

Review  briefly  the  group  of  lessons  about  Desus. 
What  were  some  of  the  things  he  taught?. 

He  also  meant  his  disciples  to  be  brave,  to  tell  others 
the  truth  without  being  afraid.  ^^What  I  tell  you  in 
the  darkness,  speak  ye  in  the  light:  and  what  ye  hear 
in  the  ear,  proclaim  upon  the  housetops.  And  be  not 
afraid  of  them  which  kill  the  body,  but  are  not  able  to 
kill  the  soul.'' 

{Matthew  10:  27,  28,) 

The  story  to-day  is  about  one  of  his  followers  who  was 
not  afraid. 

The  Story  of  Stephen 

On  the  night  of  the  Last  Supper,  Jesus  was  arrested 
by  the  chief  priests  and  the  Pharisees  and  put  to  death. 

177 


178  CHILDREN    OF   THE    FATHER 

The  Twelve  were  scattered  at  first;  then,  Httle  by  little, 
they  came  back  to  Jerusalem  and  began  to  preach  as 
Jesus  had  done.  Priests  and  Pharisees  tried  to  stop 
them,  but  it  was  of  no  use.  The  number  of  those  who 
beUeved  in  Jesus  was  greater  every  day. 

Stephen  was  not  of  those  who  had  been  with  Jesus 
at  the  Last  Supper,  but  no  one  of  the  disciples  was 
more  earnest  or  a  more  powerful  preacher  of  the  truth 
which  Jesus  had  taught.  He  would  preach  when- 
ever he  could  get  two  or  three  people  together,  in  houses, 
on  the  street,  at  the  very  gate  of  the  temple.  He 
spoke  so  well  that  the  wise  men  from  the  temple  tried 
to  argue  with  him,  tried  to  prove  that  he  was  all  wrong 
in  saying  that  Jesus  had  been  a  great  teacher,  that  what 
Jesus  had  said  was  true.  But  they  never  could  get 
the  better  of  him. 

So  men  were  found  who  said  that  Stephen  had  de- 
clared that  Jesus  would  come  back  and  destroy  the 
temple.  You  know  how  the  Jews  loved  the  temple, 
how  Josiah  the  king  had  repaired  it,  how  Nehemiah 
had  hoped  to  see  it  rebuilt.  Anyone  who  said  that  the 
temple  should  be  destroyed  was  a  dangerous  person  and 
ought  not  to  be  allowed  to  go  free.  Stephen  was 
arrested  and  brought  before  the  same  men  who  had 
condemned  Jesus  to  death. 

But  Stephen  was  unmoved,  except  that  he  felt  his 
faith  in  Jesus  growing  stronger,  until  all  who  sat  in  the 
council  "saw  his  face  as  it  had  been  the  face  of  an 
angel.'' 

The  men  who  had  accused  him  and  caused  his  arrest 
made  their  statement. 

''We  have  heard  him  say  that  this  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
shall  destroy  this  place,  and  shall  change  the  laws 
which  Moses  gave  us.'' 

The  high  priest  said, 


DOERS   OF   THE   WORD  179 

"Are  these  things  so?" 

Stephen  began  to  speak.  Not  a  wise  man  in  the 
council  knew  the  history  of  his  people  any  better  than 
Stephen.  He  began  with  Abraham  and  his  journey 
into  the  land  of  Canaan.  He  spoke  of  Joseph  and  his 
father  Jacob,  and  how  they  happened  to  go  into  Egypt. 
He  told  how  Moses  led  the  Hebrew  people  back  from 
Egypt  until  they  saw  the  Promised  Land.  All  of  these 
stories  which  you  know  and  others  which  you  will  read 
some  day  were  in  Stephen's  mind  as  he  talked,  and  the 
priests  and  the  lawyers,  the  wise  men  who  sat  in  the 
council,  were  still  and  listened;  for  although  they  had 
heard  all  these  stories  before,  they  liked  them  so  much 
that  they  could  not  hear  them  often  enough,  and 
Stephen  was  a  powerful  preacher.  He  could  tell 
stories  so  well  that  no  one  could  help  hstening.  And 
yet,  the  priests  and  the  lawyers  and  the  other  wise  men 
did  not  feel  quite  comfortable.  Stephen  kept  saying 
little  things  which  made  them  squirm,  as  if  some  one 
had  pricked  them  with  a  pin.  Some  of  the  stories  were 
not  pleasant  to  hear,  because  they  told  of  the  mean 
things  the  Hebrews  had  done  and  the  mistakes  they 
made, — how  cruel  they  had  been  to  certain  of  their 
leaders,  for  instance,  Moses.  These  were  stories  they 
would  have  preferred  to  forget;  but  Stephen  put  them 
all  in  and  told  them  just  the  same  as  he  did  the  pleasant 
ones. 

Presently  he  said, 

^^But  Solomon  built  him  a  house." 

Now,  they  thought,  he  had  come  to  the  important 
matter,  for  the  house  he  spoke  of  was  the  temple  in 
which  they  were  sitting. 

^^Howbeit,  the  Most  High  dwelleth  not  in  temples 
made  with  hands ;  as  saith  the  prophet, 

^The  heaven  is  my  throne, 


180  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

^And  the  earth  the  footstool  of  my  feet: 

^What  manner  of  house  will  ye  build  me?  saith  the 
Lord: 

^Or  what  is  the  place  of  my  rest? 

^Did  not  my  hand  make  all  these  things?^  " 

The  men  who  sat  in  the  council  began  to  be  angry. 
Stephen  meant  to  tell  them  that  they  had  forgotten 
that  God  was  everywhere,  and  not  only  in  the  temple, 
that  no  matter  how  great  the  temple  might  be,  it 
couldn't  keep  God  from  being  in  the  world  outside. 
They  thought  so  much  of  themselves  that  they  could 
not  bear  to  be  told  that  they  were  wrong  in  anything. 
But  what  was  Stephen  saying  now? 

''Ye  stiffnecked  and  uncircumcised  in  heart  and  ears, 
ye  do  always  resist  the  spirit  of  God:  as  your  fathers 
did,  so  do  ye.  Which  of  the  prophets  did  not  your 
fathers  persecute?  and  they  killed  them  who  told 
of  the  coming  of  Jesus,  the  Righteous  One,  whom  ye 
murdered;  ye,  who  received  the  law  as  it  was  set  forth 
by  angels  and  kept  it  not." 

Stephen  had  dared  his  utmost.  He  had  called  the 
wise  men  of  the  council  law-breakers  and  murderers! 
They  sprang  from  their  seats  in  a  fury.  They  forgot 
who  they  were,  where  they  were,  forgot  that  they  were 
supposed  to  be  giving  this  man  a  fair  trial.  The  room 
was  in  an  uproar.  But  Stephen,  hfting  his  eyes, 
said  in  a  clear  voice  which  soared  above  the  din, 

' 'Behold,  I  see  the  heavens  opened,  and  Jesus  stand- 
ing at  the  right  hand  of  God." 

Thereupon  the  Jews  cried  out  the  louder  to  drown 
his  voice,  and  stopping  their  ears,  drove  him  out  of  the 
temple  and  hunted  him  through  the  city,  beyond  the 
gates.  As  they  ran,  one  threw  a  stone,  and  then  others, 
until,  outside  the  city,  they  stripped  off  their  cloaks 
that  they  might  throw  better.     But  Stephen  fell  on 


DOERS   OF   THE   WORD  181 

his  knees  at  last  crying,  ''Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their 
charge/'  And  when  he  had  said  this,  he  fell  asleep. 
So  the  Jews  took  up  their  cloaks  again,  and  went  back 
to  the  city,  leaving  Stephen  lying  on  the  ground.  But 
when  they  had  all  gone,  his  friends  the  disciples  took 
his  body  and  reverently  buried  it  in  a  quiet  place. 

Application 

How  do  you  think  the  disciples  felt  after  Stephen's 
death?  Were  they  afraid  to  preach  any  more?  No, 
they  were  braver  than  ever.  They  never  forgot 
Stephen,  but  if  he  had  been  a  coward,  he  would  have 
been  forgotten,  and  his  story  would  not  have  been  in 
our  Bible.  As  it  is,  people  have  read  it  for  over  a 
thousand  years,  and  have  been  more  ready  to  tell  the 
truth  without  being  afraid. 

Expressional  Work 

The  text,  to  be  memorized  and  colored,  is  taken 
from  the  exhortation  of  Joshua  to  the  Israelites  as 
expressing  more  simply  the  principle  of  courage  than 
the  figurative  words  assigned  to  Jesus  in  the  Gospel. 
One  needs  to  be  strong  and  of  a  good  courage  to  pro- 
claim truth  "upon  the  house-tops." 

Memory  Verse 

Be  strong  and  of  a  good  courage. 

Joshua  1:18. 

Home  Work 

The  story  of  Stephen  is  told  in  the  sixth  and  seventh 
chapters  of  the  Book  of  Acts;  but  it  needs  to  be  some- 
what condensed  for  children.     This  is  a  good  time  to 


182  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

review  the  courageous  deeds  of  other  "Children  of  the 
Father'^,  such  as  Joseph,  who  had  courage  to  obey 
even  when  he  could  not  find  his  brothers;  John  Robin- 
son, who  endured  ridicule  and  abuse  for  the  sake  of  his 
belief;  John  the  Baptist,  who  was  not  afraid  to  speak 
the  truth;  David,  Josiah  the  King,  and  above  all 
Daniel,  who  was  not  unlike  Stephen  in  the  peculiar 
quality  of  his  courage,  although  fortunate  in  having  to 
face  beasts  instead  of  infuriated  men.  The  father  or 
mother  who  has  followed  the  course  can  recall  these 
stories  with  the  children,  asking  in  what  way  the  heroes 
are  like  Stephen. 

For  those  who  desire  pictures,  Fra  Angehco  has  illus- 
trated the  preaching  of  Stephen  in  a  naively  charming 
way.  His  fresco  in  the  Chapel  of  Nicholas  V,  in  the 
Vatican,  is  reproduced  by  the  Bureau  of  University 
Travel,  Trinity  Place,  Boston,  Mass.  The  number 
of  the  print  is  127,  Series  B. 


LESSON  32 

HOW  PETER  WAS  SET  FREE 
The  Purpose 

The  story  of  Peter^s  strange  escape  from  prison  is 
a  lesson  in  the  power  of  faith.  ^'All  things,  whatso- 
ever ye  shall  ask  in  prayer,  believing,  ye  shall  receive.'^ 
(Matthew  21 :  22.)  It  is  a  story  which  appeals  to  the 
imagination  of  us  all  alike, — children,  mature  thinkers, 
painters  of  pictures.  No  miracle  was  necessary  to  get 
Peter  out  of  prison.  The  disciples  escaped  more  than 
once  with  the  aid  of  a  friendly  jailor.  Peter  himself 
^Vist  not  that  it  was  true  which  was  done  by  the 
angel,  but  thought  he  saw  a  vision."  In  this  matter- 
of-fact  age,  at  least,  God's  angels  take  human  form. 
But  to  the  writer  of  the  Book  of  Acts,  God  did  send 
his  angel  in  answer  to  the  prayer  of  the  faithful,  and 
the  account  is  too  beautiful  to  be  tampered  with.  If 
the  children  question,  or  the  teacher  wishes  to  satisfy 
her  own  conscience  after  the  story,  she  may  say  that 
God  may  have  put  it  into  the  heart  of  some  one  who 
had  the  keys  to  the  prison  to  set  Peter  free,  and  that  he 
seemed  like  an  angel  to  Peter  because  he  was  so  happy 
to  come  out  of  his  dark  cell  into  the  clear  night.  The 
fact  remains  that  Peter  escaped.  The  prayers  of  his 
friends  were  answered. 

The  Approach 

Talk  with  the  class  about  what  Jesus  said  concerning 
prayer.  Have  them  repeat  the  memory  verse,  *^Ask 
and  it  shall  be  given  you." 

183 


184  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

Who  remembers  Peter?     Who  was  he? 
This  is  a  story  about  him.     It  happened  soon  after 
the  death  of  Stephen. 

How  Peter  was  Set  Free 

Now  about  that  time,  Herod  the  king  began  to  perse- 
cute the  followers  of  Jesus.  And  he  killed  James  the 
brother  of  John  with  the  sword.  And  when  he  saw 
that  it  pleased  the  Jews,  he  proceeded  to  seize  Peter 
also.  It  was  during  the  week  of  the  Passover.  And 
when  he  had  taken  him,  he  put  him  in  prison,  and  gave 
him  to  four  guards  of  four  soldiers  each,  intending  after 
the  Passover  to  bring  him  forth  and  put  him  to  death. 

Peter,  therefore,  was  kept  in  the  prison;  but  all  his 
friends  prayed  to  God  for  him  most  earnestly. 

When  Herod  was  about  to  bring  him  forth  to  put 
him  to  death,  the  same  night  Peter  was  sleeping  be- 
tween two  soldiers,  bound  with  chains:  and  guards 
before  the  door  kept  the  prison.  And  behold,  an  angel 
of  the  Lord  stood  by  him,  and  a  light  shone  in  the  cell : 
and  he  touched  Peter  on  the  side,  and  awoke  him,  say- 
ing. Rise  up  quickly.  And  his  chains  fell  from  off  his 
hands.  And  the  angel  said  unto  him.  Gird  thyself 
and  bind  on  thy  sandals.  And  he  did  so.  And  he 
said  unto  him,  Cast  thy  garment  about  thee,  and  follow 
me.  And  he  went  out,  and  followed;  and  he  knew  not 
that  it  was  true  which  was  done  by  the  angel,  but 
thought  he  saw  a  vision. 

And  when  they  were  past  the  first  and  second  ward, 
they  came  to  the  iron  gate  that  leadeth  into  the  city; 
which  opened  to  them  of  its  own  accord;  and  they  went 
out  and  passed  on  through  one  street;  and  straightway 
the  angel  departed  from  him. 

When  Peter  reaUzed  where  he  was,  he  said.  Now  I 


DOERS   OF   THE   WORD  185 

know  of  a  truth,  that  the  Lord  hath  sent  forth  his 
angel  and  saved  me  out  of  the  hand  of  Herod.  And 
when  he  had  thought  it  over,  he  came  to  the  house  of 
Mary  the  mother  of  John  Mark,  where  many  had  come 
together  and  were  praying.  There  he  knocked  at 
the  door,  and  a  maid,  named  Rhoda,  came  to  answer; 
but  she,  knowing  his  voice,  was  so  glad  that  she  did 
not  stop  to  open  the  door,  but  ran  in  and  said  that 
Peter  stood  outside.  And  they  said  to  her.  Thou  art 
mad.  But  she  declared  that  it  was  so.  And  they  said, 
'^It  is  his  angel.^^  And  Peter  continued  knocking: 
and  when  they  had  opened  the  door,  they  saw  him, 
and  were  amazed.  But  he,  motioning  with  his  hand 
for  them  to  be  quiet,  told  them  how  the  Lord  had 
brought  him  forth  out  of  the  prison.  And  he  said. 
Tell  these  things  to  James  and  the  others.  And  then 
he  went  away  and  left  the  city.  Now  as  soon  as  it  was 
day,  there  was  no  small  stir  among  the  soldiers,  what 
had  become  of  Peter. 

(Adapted  from  Acts  12:  1-18.) 

Expressional  Work 

We  like  to  think  to-day  that  angels  are  really  people 
who  do  beautiful  things;  but  Raphael,  the  great  painter, 
made  a  picture  of  Peter's  angel  which  shows  him  to  be 
quite  unhke  Peter,  at  least.  You  see  he  is  stronger 
and  younger,  and  there  is  a  bright  light  around  him. 
But  he  has  Peter's  hand  in  his  and  is  leading  him  out 
of  the  dark  prison  into  the  street,  where  Peter  can  go 
free. 

Home  Work 

Apples  of  Gold  contains  a  number  of  beautiful  selec- 
tions which  are  suitable  to  be  read  to  children  in  con- 


186  CHILDREN    OF   THE    FATHER 

nection  with  the  thought  in  this  lesson.  Among  them 
are  the  hymn,  ^^God  is  Love,"  by  John  Bo  wring,  parts 
of  the  poem  by  Richard  Chenevix  Trench,  ^'Our  Father's 
Home,"  and  "A  Good-Night  Song,"  by  Emma  Endicott 
Marean. 


LESSON  33 

ST.  FRANCIS  AND  THE  SULTAN 

The  Purpose 

This  is  a  lesson  in  loving  enemies.  It  shows  how 
sensible  such  a  course  may  be. 

Memory  Verse 
Love  your  enemies,  and  pray  for  them  that  persecute 
you;  that  ye  may  be  children  of  your  Father  who  is  in 
heaven.  Matthew  5 :44,  45. 

The  Approach 

Repeat  the  memory  verse  several  times  with  the  class. 
The  word  persecute  has  been  frequently  used  in  these 
lessons,  but  make  sure  that  the  children  understand  it. 
Translate  it  into  concrete  terms,  such  as  torment, 
tease.  They  will  know  very  well  what  it  means. 
Does  persecuting  do  any  good?     Why  not? 

This  story  of  St.  Francis  will  show  what  he  thought 
about  it. 

St.  Francis  and  the  Sultan 

St.  Francis  was  afraid  of  nothing.  He  wore  a  brown 
gown,  tied  in  at  the  waist  by  a  rope;  he  had  no  shoes, 
no  purse,  no  money  to  put  in  one;  he  carried  no  sword. 
Yet  he  feared  not  the  heat  of  the  blazing  sun,  or  the 
chilling  wetness  of  rain,  or  the  fierce  winds  blowing  cold 
from  the  snow-covered  mountains;  he  called  them  his 
brothers.     He  was  not  afraid  of  hunger  or  thirst;  if 

187 


188  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

he  was  hungry  he  asked  for  food  in  the  name  of  God, 
and  it  was  given  him,  and  as  for  thirst,  were  there 
not  brooks,  and  springs  by  the  wayside?  He  called 
wild  animals  to  him,  and  they  were  his  friends.  As 
for  men,  they  thought  him  mad  at  jQrst,  because  he 
did  not  Hve  as  they  did;  but  when  they  knew  him,  they 
loved  him,  for  he  always  met  them  with  a  friendly 
smile,  and  he  would  give  the  gown  off  his  back  or  the 
crust  he  had  begged  to  keep  them  from  cold  or  hunger. 

This  story  is  not  about  St.  Francis  and  his  friends, 
either  men  or  birds  or  beasts,  but  about  how  he  treated 
an  enemy.  For  all  the  Christian  world  thought  the 
Sultan  an  enemy  because  he  was  a  Mohammedan  and 
did  not  call  Jesus  his  master. 

For  years  and  years  the  Holy  Land,  Palestine, 
where  Jesus  had  hved  and  taught  men  to  be  kind  to 
each  other,  had  been  in  the  hands  of  Mohammedans. 
Army  after  army  of  Christians  who  called  themselves 
Crusaders  and  wore  a  red  cross  pinned  on  their  breasts, 
had  marched  against  the  Sultan.  Many  brave  men 
had  died  in  battle,  all  to  recover  Jerusalem  and  the 
tomb  in  which  Jesus  had  been  buried,  from  the  hands 
of  Mohammedans.  At  the  very  time  when  St.  Francis 
was  going  about  Italy,  feeding  the  hungry  and  healing 
the  sick,  and  trying  to  live  exactly  as  Jesus  had  lived, 
there  was  an  army  of  Crusaders  in  Egypt,  where  the 
Sultan  then  was,  making  ready  to  kill  and  be  killed,  as 
men  do  in  battle. 

It  occurred  to  Francis  that  a  much  simpler  and  less 
expensive  way  would  be  to  go  to  the  Sultan  as  a  friend, 
tell  him  about  Jesus,  and  make  him  a  Christian.  Then 
there  would  be  no  need  of  any  more  battles,  for  the 
Holy  Land  would  be  ruled  by  a  Christian,  which  was 
what  the  Crusaders  wanted.  And  no  sooner  had  he 
thought  of  it,  than  he  made  up  his  mind  to  go  himself. 


DOERS    OF   THE    WORD  189 

It  was  dangerous,  of  course;  the  Sultan  might  not  like 
being  converted,  he  might  even  put  Francis  to  death. 
But  Francis  was  not  afraid  of  that,  either.  He  was 
trying  to  live  like  Jesus,  and  Jesus  had  died  forgiving 
those  who  had  put  him  to  death.  Francis  almost  hoped 
he  might  have  the  chance  to  show  how  brave  he  could  be. 

But  while  Francis  was  ready  and  willing  to  die  for 
Jesus  if  need  be,  he  was  not  so  sure  how  others  would 
feel  about  it.  Yet  he  did  want  one  friend,  just  for 
company.  So  he  chose  Brother  Illuminato,  who  was 
like  himself  as  far  as  courage  went.  If  you  had  seen 
him,  when  Francis  asked  him  to  go,  after  telling  him  all 
that  the  journey  might  mean,  you  would  have  thought 
that  Brother  Illuminato  had  been  given  the  thing  he 
most  wanted  in  all  the  world! 

The  two  friends  started  to  walk  to  the  sea-port, 
where  there  was  a  ship  which  would  soon  sail  for  Egypt; 
but  as  they  went,  they  had  a  surprise.  For  every  now 
and  then,  as  they  turned  a  corner,  or  as  they  passed 
through  a  village,  or  crossed  a  green  field,  they  would 
be  joined  by  other  friends,  in  ones  and  twos  and  groups 
of  three  or  four,  all  in  brown  gowns  with  ropes  around 
their  waists,  all  begging  to  be  allowed  to  go,  too. 

Francis  did  not  say  no;  but  by  the  time  they  had  come 
to  the  sea,  there  were  too  many  brown  brothers  to  go 
on  the  ship;  and  there  was  only  one  ship  bound  for 
Egypt.  And  how  to  say  which  of  his  good  friends 
should  go  and  which  should  stay,  Francis  did  not  know! 
He  looked  at  Brother  Illuminato,  who  shook  his  head; 
he  looked  at  the  sky,  as  if  there  might  be  help  there; 
at  last,  he  saw  a  bright-eyed  small  boy,  who  had  come 
to  see  the  ship  sail.  An  idea  came  to  St.  Francis. 
He  did  not  know  the  boy,  neither  did  his  friends.  The 
boy  should  say  who  were  to  go,  and  then  no  feeUngs 
would  be  hurt. 


190  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

So  it  was.  The  small  boy  and  the  brown  brothers 
who  were  left  stood  on  the  pier  and  watched  the  ship 
out  of  sight. 

They  came  to  Egypt  and  went  first  to  the  camp  of 
the  Crusaders.  There  they  learned  where  the  Sultan 
was.  His  camp  was  on  the  other  bank  of  the  Nile. 
It  was  at  quite  a  distance,  and  to  walk  there  would  be 
most  dangerous;  for  the  Sultan  had  offered  a  reward  of 
gold  for  each  Christian  whom  his  Arabs  might  bring 
in;  and  it  was  said  that  no  captives  reached  the  Sultan 
alive. 

St.  Francis  was  not  in  the  least  troubled  for  himself 
or  for  Brother  Illuminato;  but  he  would  not  let  any  of 
the  other  brown  brothers  run  into  such  danger.  He 
insisted  upon  their  staying  in  the  Crusaders'  camp, 
while  he  and  Brother  Illuminato  made  their  way  to  the 
Sultan  as  best  they  could. 

The  road  was  sandy  and  the  sun  hot ;  but  they  were 
used  to  dust  and  heat.  Presently,  they  saw  two  sheep, 
nibbling  at  the  scanty  tufts  of  grass  which  were  dotted 
over  the  sand. 

^^Look!"  said  St.  Francis,  ^^do  you  not  remember 
that  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples,  'I  send  you  forth  as 
sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves?'  Are  not  these  sheep 
very  hke  us?" 

The  wolves  appeared  presently  in  the  form  of  fierce 
Arabs,  who  beat  Francis  and  Illuminato  severely, 
bound  them,  and  took  them  to  the  Sultan.  But  they 
took  them  alive.  Perhaps  it  was  because  the  two 
friends  carried  no  sword. 

The  Sultan  was  surprised.  It  was  a  long  time  since 
he  had  seen  any  live  Christians  except  in  battle.  But 
although  the  Sultan  was  a  Mohammedan,  he  was  also 
a  gentleman,  and  he  treated  Francis  and  Illuminato 
poHtely. 


DOERS   OF  THE   WORD  191 

There  were  others  in  the  Sultanas  tent,  priests  of 
Mohammed.  St.  Francis  was  glad,  for  he  hoped  to 
convince  them  too.  He  began  to  preach  about  Jesus, 
of  his  wonderful  life  and  his  courage  when  he  was 
put  to  death,  of  what  a  beautiful  thing  it  was  to  live 
as  he  had  taught  men  to  live.  The  Sultan  Hstened  with 
real  interest,  as  if  he  had  never  heard  these  things 
before. 

When  Francis  had  finished  his  sermon,  he  looked 
around  the  tent,  at  the  priests  of  Mohammed.  Then 
he  said, 

^'I  would  walk  through  fire  to  show  how  I  beheve 
in  Jesus.'*' 

And  he  begged  the  Sultan  to  have  a  bonfiLre  built 
in  front  of  the  tent,  and  to  select  one  of  his  own  priests 
to  enter  the  fire  with  him,  if  any  of  them  could  be 
found  who  thought  enough  of  Mohammed  to  do  it. 

The  Mohammedan  priests  went  quietly  out  of  the 
tent  just  then  as  if  they  had  business  elsewhere.  The 
Sultan  smiled,  and  said  that  he  feared  his  priests  would 
not  care  to  walk  through  fire,  and  he  would  not  ask 
St.  Francis  to  do  it.  Instead  he  offered  St.  Francis 
and  Brother  Illuminato  gifts;  for  like  all  other  men, 
the  Sultan  was  beginning  to  love  St.  Francis. 

Again  the  Sultan  was  surprised.  St.  Francis  re- 
fused the  gifts.  He  could  not  take  money;  he  carried 
no  purse.  His  heavenly  Father,  the  Father  of  his 
master  Jesus,  took  care  of  him. 

At  least,  the  Sultan  hoped,  Francis  and  Illuminato 
would  stay  with  him  as  his  guests.  This  they  were 
glad  to  do.  It  would  give  them  a  marvellous  chance 
to  make  a  Christian  out  of  the  Sultan.  So  for  weeks 
the  two  followers  of  Jesus  lived  peaceably  in  the  camp 
of  the  Mohammedans,  whom  all  the  world  called  their 
enemies. 


192  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

It  is  said  that  the  Sultan  himself  would  gladly  have 
become  a  Christian;  but  he  could  not  promise  to  con- 
vert his  people.  So  Francis  and  lUuminato  went  home 
without  having  done  what  they  had  dearly  hoped  for. 
And  yet,  I  think  they  succeeded.     What  do  you  think? 

Lead  the  class  to  tell  in  what  ways  St.  Francis  did 
succeed.     Refer  again  to  the  memory  verse. 

Expressional  Work 

Dramatization:  The  scene  in  which  St.  Francis 
appears  before  the  Sultan  is  easily  and  effectively 
dramatized.  Otherwise  there  is  not  much  in  the 
story  which  lends  itself  to  this  kind  of  expression. 

The  following  skeleton  story  is  given  for  impressing 
the  important  elements  in  the  lesson. 

Key  to  the  Skeleton  Story 

This  happened  when  Christians  were  making  (war) 
on  the  Mohammedans  to  get  back  (Palestine)  and  the 
Holy  Sepulchre  where  (Jesus)  was  buried.  St.  Francis 
thought  it  would  be  (wiser)  to  make  a  (Christian)  out 
of  the  Sultan,  so  he  went  to  (Egypt),  and  made  his  way 
to  the  Sultanas  (tent).  It  was  a  (long)  way,  over  a 
hot,  (sandy)  road,  and  he  had  no  one  with  him  but 
Brother  lUuminato.  Presently  a  (band)  of  fierce 
Arabs  seized  (Francis)  and  his  friend,  and  carried  them 
as  (prisoners)  to  the  (Sultan).  Usually  such  prisoners 
were  put  to  death,  but  Francis  spoke  so  well  of  his 
faith  in  (Jesus)  that  the  Sultan  became  his  (friend). 
He  kept  Francis  and  lUuminato  as  his  (guests)  as  long 
as  they  would  (stay),  and  at  last  sent  them  safely 
(home).  It  is  said  that  the  (Sultan)  would  have  be- 
come a  (Christian)  himself,  but  was  not  at  all  sure  that 
he  could  make  Christians  out  of  his  (army). 


DOERS    OF   THE    WORD  193 

Home  Work 

Another  delightful  story  of  St.  Francis  containing 
this  same  thought  of  loving  enemies,  is  that  of  'The 
Three  Robbers/'  retold  by  Sophie  Jewett  in  her  story 
of  St.  Francis  of  Assisi  called  God's  Troubadour. 

Make  sure  that  the  children  can  repeat  the  memory 
verse. 


LESSON  34 

THE  ROSE  OF  HUNGARY 

The  Purpose 

The  purpose  of  this  story,  based  upon  the  legend 
of  St.  Elizabeth  of  Hungary,  is  to  make  giving  at- 
tractive. 

The  Approach 

Refer  to  St.  Francis.  Why  did  people  love  him? 
Because  he  ''would  give  the  gown  off  his  back  or  the 
crust  he  had  begged  to  keep  them  from  cold  or  hunger," 
and  because  he  ''always  met  them  with  a  friendly 
smile." 

St.  Francis  knew  very  well  a  story  about  Jesus  and 
a  certain  rich  young  man.  This  young  man  came  one 
day  to  Jesus  and  said,  "Master,  what  good  thing  shall 
I  do,  that  I  may  live  always?"  Jesus  said,  "Thou 
knowest  the  commandments,  Do  not  kill.  Do  not  steal. 
Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother.  Love  thy  neighbor 
as  thyself."  "Master,"  said  the  young  man,  "all  these 
things  have  I  observed  from  my  youth."  Jesus, 
looking  upon  him,  loved  him.  "But  one  thing  thou 
hast  not  done.  Go,  sell  whatever  thou  hast,  and  give 
to  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven: 
and  come,  follow  me."  But  the  young  man's  face 
fell  when  he  heard  this,  and  he  went  away  sad,  for  he 
had  a  great  deal  of  property. 

St.  Francis  was  once  a  rich  young  man,  but  he  de- 
cided that  he  would  sell  all  of  his  goods;  and  when  he 

194 


DOERS    OF   THE   WORD  195 

was  a  poor  man  himself,  he  kept  on  giving  to  the  poor, 
as  you  have  heard. 

The  memory  verse  to-day  you  may  know  already*, 
but  it  will  do  no  harm  to  say  it  over  again. 

Memory  Verse 

Give  to  him  that  asketh  thee. 

Matthew  5 :42. 

How  do  you  ask  for  things?  Can  you  ask  without 
speaking?  Does  your  mother  wait  until  you  ask  for 
things  before  she  gives  them  to  you?  No,  she  gives 
you  what  you  need  because  she  uhderstands.  So 
when  you  say  this  memory  verse  over  to  yourself,  as 
I  hope  you  will  often,  think  that  the  asking  need  not  be 
in  words.  Your  dog  can't  speak,  but  he  asks  for  what 
he  wants  with  his  eyes  and  by  wagging  his  tail.  And 
sometimes  a  schoolmate  who  is  lonely  wants  you  to 
play  with  him,  only  he  doesn't  dare  ask  in  words;  and 
yet  you  know  if  you  look  at  him  what  he  wants. 

The  story  to-day  is  about  a  princess  who  could  give 
to  people  who  asked  without  words. 

The  Rose  of  Hungary 

It  was  a  cold  day, — bitterly  cold.  Two  children 
were  trudging  along  the  road  which  led  from  the  village 
to  the  castle.  They  had  to  rub  their  ears  now  and 
then  to  keep  them  from  freezing,  and  then  they  would 
thrust  their  little  red  fingers  deeper  into  their  pockets, 
for  they  had  no  mittens. 

''See!"  said  one  of  them.  ''There  comes  the  Prin- 
cess Ehzabeth." 

She  did  not  look  like  a  princess  as  they  saw  her  afar 
off,  for  she  was  bent  nearly  double,  like  the  witch  in 

*It  is  given  with  Lesson  22  in  Living  Together. 


196  CHILDREN   OF   THE    FATHER 

the  fairy  tales;  but  as  she  came  nearer,  they  saw  that 
she  was  carrying  a  great  weight  in  the  skirt  of  her  cloak. 
Her  cheeks  were  pink  and  her  eyes  bright  as  stars  re- 
flected in  water;  and  her  cloak  was  warm  and  rich  and 
bordered  with  fur,  as  was  fitting  for  a  princess.  What 
the  weight  was  they  could  not  see,  for  the  cloak  cov- 
ered it  completely. 

They  stood  aside  to  let  her  pass,  and  the  boy  took 
one  hand  out  of  his  pocket  and  pulled  off  his  cap. 
But  the  princess  stopped.  The  children  had  said 
nothing,  but  she  knew  at  a  glance  that  they  were  cold 
and  hungry.  She  dropped  on  her  knees  in  the  snow 
and  let  her  cloak  fall. 

Now  if  you  had  been  there,  you  would  probably 
have  seen  everything  there  was  in  that  cloak;  you 
would  have  known  just  what  made  it  so  heavy.  But 
the  two  children  were  so  surprised  to  have  a  real  prin- 
cess on  her  knees  before  them  in  the  snow  that  they 
never  looked  at  the  cloak  at  all.  They  could  not  take 
their  eyes  off  her  face, — from  the  beautiful  color  in  her 
cheeks,  and  the  star4ight  in  her  eyes.  And  before 
they  knew  what  had  happened,  there  were  warm 
mittens  on  their  cold  hands,  and  their  empty  pockets 
had  been  stuffed  with  cakes.  Cakes, — not  cookies, 
for  all  this  happened  seven  hundred  years  ago. 

The  princess  was  on  her  feet  again,  with  her  cloak 
gathered  up,  almost  before  the  children  had  time  to 
thank  her.  They  watched  her  going  down  the  hill, 
very  slowly,  for  the  road  was  icy  in  spots.  The  sun 
glittered  on  the  snowy  mountains,  against  a  pale  blue 
sky,  and  everything  looked  cold  except  the  Princess 
Elizabeth  in  her  warm,  red,  fur-bordered  cloak. 

"What  was  in  that  cloak?''  said  the  boy  suddenly. 

"I  smelt  roses,''  said  the  little  girl,  who  was  younger 
than  her  brother. 


DOERS   OF   THE    WORD  197 

''Roses !'^  said  the  boy.  ''Look  at  the  ice!  Roses 
would  be  frozen  stiff  by  this  time.  You  were  looking 
at  her  cheeks  and  the  red  cloak.  She  must  have  had 
more  mittens  and  good  things  to  eat.  She  is  going 
down  to  our  village  to  give  them  away.  It  is  just  hke 
her.     She  is  always  giving  things  away." 

As  they  climbed  the  hill,  the  children  talked  about 
the  princess.  Every  child  in  Eisenach  liked  to  talk 
about  her,  for  she  was  Hke  a  fairy  tale  come  true.  She 
had  been  brought  to  the  great  castle  on  the  hill  when 
she  was  only  four  years  old.  Her  father  was  King  of 
Hungary  and  he  had  given  her  to  their  good  prince 
Herman  to  be  the  bride  of  his  son  Louis.  Elizabeth 
and  Louis  had  been  brought  up  together  in  the  castle, 
and  when  Elizabeth  was  twenty,  they  were  married. 
So  far  it  was  simple.  But  strange  stories  were  told  in 
the  village  of  what  went  on  at  the  castle.  For  Eliza- 
beth was  always  giving.  As  a  little  child  she  had  given 
her  toys  to  children  who  had  none.  Only  the  other 
day,  a  beggar  in  rags  had  gone  to  her  for  help.  Prince 
Louis  was  entertaining  guests  at  a  splendid  banquet, 
and  had  asked  Elizabeth  to  wear  her  richest  dress. 
She  was  just  about  to  go  to  the  guests  when  the  beggar 
came.  She  asked  him  to  wait,  but  he  was  so  wretched 
that  she  took  off  her  rich  gown  and  gave  it  to  him ;  and 
then,  afraid  to  meet  her  husband  in  anything  less  splen- 
did, she  went  to  her  room.  Louis  wondered  where  she 
was  and  came  to  find  her;  and  when  he  still  insisted 
on  her  coming,  and  she  went  to  her  wardrobe  to  see 
what  she  had  which  might  do,  there  hung  the  very 
dress  she  had  given  to  the  beggar!  Now  would  any 
ordinary  beggar  leave  a  dress  all  silk  and  jewels?  Who 
could  the  person  be  who  had  asked  help  of  Elizabeth? 
The  boy  declared  that  the  beggar  was  unwilling  to  take 
so  expensive  a  gift  and  had  put  it  back  in  the  wardrobe 


198  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

when  nobody  was  looking;  but  the  girl  thought  that  it 
might  have  been  an  angel  in  disguise,  or  even  Jesus 
himself,  come  to  see  if  Elizabeth  really  would  give  the 
best  she  had. 

But  the  best  thing  about  the  princess  was  what  she 
gave  to  the  people  who  didn't  beg.  It  was  very  strange 
how  she  knew  what  they  needed.  There  was  many  a 
poor  person  in  their  village  who  wouldn't  have  had  a 
fire  or  enough  warm  clothing  or  food  if  it  hadn't  been 
for  Elizabeth.  And  when  their  baby  sister  had  died, 
the  princess  came  and  sat  with  their  mother  a  long 
time,  not  saying  very  much, — just  sat  there  by  the 
fire.  She  seemed  to  know  what  people  wanted  most 
without  their  having  to  ask  for  it. 

^^Just  as  it  was  to-day,"  said  the  boy.  ^'We  didn't 
tell  her  that  we  were  hungry  or  that  our  hands  were 
cold.     I  wonder  how  she  knew." 

Far  down  the  hill,  the  Princess  Elizabeth  met  her 
husband,  his  Highness  the  Prince  Louis  of  Thuringia. 
Her  cheeks  turned  from  pink  to  red.  Louis  did  not 
care  how  much  his  wife  gave  away.  He  was  most 
generous.  But  he  would  not  like  her  carrying  so  much 
that  it  bent  her  almost  double,  especially  on  a  morning 
as  cold  and  icy  as  this.  Also,  while  she  liked  to  give, 
Ehzabeth  did  not  like  to  have  others  know  that  she  was 
giving.  She  would  much  rather  not  be  praised  for  it. 
So  she  tried  to  stand  very  straight,  and  gathered  in  the 
folds  of  her  cloak  tightly. 

^'What  have  you  in  your  cloak,  Elizabeth?"  asked 
the  prince. 

She  hesitated;  then,  very  slowly,  she  loosened  the 
folds  of  it  and  looked  down. 

A  moment  later,  each  was  going  happily  along  the 
icy  road,  Louis  up  the  hill  to  his  castle,  Elizabeth  down 
to  the  village,  to  give  to  those  who  needed  help  but  did 


DOERS   OF   THE    WORD  199 

not  ask  in  words.  But  it  is  still  a  question  what  was  in 
the  cloak.  For  the  story  has  come  down  to  us,  through 
seven  hundred  years,  that  when  EHzabeth  opened  her 
cloak  and  husband  and  wife  looked  down  at  it,  ts  folds 
were  filled  with  red  and  white  roses,  more  fragrant, 
fresher,  and  more  beautiful  than  they  had  ever  seen. 
At  least.  Prince  Louis  understood  from  that  time  forth 
that  his  wife's  giving  was  as  beautiful  as  the  roses, 
and  he  never  questioned  her  again.  She  continued  to 
bring  as  much  happiness  to  the  poor  httle  homes  of 
Eisenach  as  the  red  rose  which  blooms  in  winter. 

Expressional  Work 

St.  Elizabeth  of  Hungary  is  always  painted  with 
roses,  because  of  this  story  about  her.  That  is  why 
the  design  on  your  leaf  for  to-day  is  a  rose.  In  the 
blank  space,  I  wish  you  to  make  a  picture  of  your  own 
of  this  story, — of  the  mountains  and  the  castle,  of 
Elizabeth  and  Louis  and  the  roses;  and  I  am  sure  you 
will  not  forget  the  two  children  far  up  the  steep  road 
by  this  time. 

Home  Work 

Other  stories  which  illustrate  sympathetic  giving 
are  ''What  Tommy  Found,''  by  Arthur  L.  Dahl,  in  The 
Beacon  for  May  23,  1915,  Vol.  V,  No.  34,  and  ''Doctor 
Goldsmith,"  in  Fifty  Famous  Stories j  by  James 
Baldwin. 

Read  with  the  children  the  Story  of  Jesus  and  the 
Rich  Young  Man,  Matthew  19:  16-22.  For  an  illus- 
tration see  the  print  of  Hofmann's  painting,  Wilde's 
Bible  Pictures,  No.  112. 

Have  the  memory  verse,  "Give  to  him  that  asketh 
thee"  repeated,  and  encourage  giving  to  those  who 
do  not  ask  in  words,  but  rather  by  their  need. 


LESSON  35 

THE  LEGEND  BEAUTIFUL 

The  Purpose 

This  lesson  carries  a  little  further  the  idea  of  the 
lesson  on  St.  Elizabeth  of  Hungary, — that  service  to 
man  is  service  to  the  Father  of  all  and  loyalty  to  the 
teaching  of  Jesus. 

The  Approach 

Review  the  story  of  St.  Francis  or  of  St.  Elizabeth, 
to  recall  giving,  and  what  it  means  to  give.  Ask  how 
many  have  found  ways  of  giving  to  people  who  haven't 
asked  in  words. 

Jesus  was  one  day  telling  a  story  about  the  kingdom 
of  heaven. 

Then  shall  the  King  say  unto  them  on  his  right  hand, 
Comej  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  pre- 
pared for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world:  for  I  was 
hungry,  and  ye  gave  me  meat:  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave 
me  drink:  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in:  naked, 
and  ye  clothed  me:  I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  me:  I  was 
in  prison,  and  ye  came  unto  me.  Then  shall  the  righteous 
answer  him,  saying,  Lord,  when  saw  we  thee  hungry,  and 
fed  theef  or  athirst,  and  gave  thee  drink?  And  when 
saw  we  thee  a  stranger,  and  took  thee  in?  or  naked,  and 
clothed  thee?  And  when  saw  we  thee  sick,  or  in  prison, 
and  came  unto  thee?  And  the  King  shall  answer  and  say 
unto  them.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Inasmuch  as  ye  did 
it  unto  one  of  these  my  brethren,  even  these  least,  ye  did 
it  unto  me, 

{Matthew  25:34-40,) 

200 


DOERS   OF   THE    WORD  201 

This  is  another  story  which  was  told  long  ago  about 
a  monk  who  wished  to  serve  Jesus.  Do  you  remember 
the  story  of  Theocrite?  Where  did  he  hve?  What 
did  the  monks  do?  Recall  that  they  worked  at  trades, 
or  made  beautiful  books  by  hand,  and  add  that  they 
helped  the  poor  people  who  lived  near  the  monastery. 

The  Legend  Beautiful 

He  was  just  a  monk,  one  of  many  others  who  lived 
in  the  monastery,  who  rose  early  each  morning  and 
went  to  service  in  the  chapel,  who  worked  hard  all 
day,  and  slept  soundly  at  night.  One  day  was  like 
another.  Only  the  weather,  cold  or  heat,  rain  or 
snow,  made  any  difference.  At  noon,  the  poor  came 
to  the  gate  of  the  convent,  and  the  monks  fed  them. 
Now  and  then  there  was  a  new  face  at  the  gate,  when  a 
wandering  beggar  stopped  on  his  way;  but  usually 
they  were  the  same,  thin  and  dirty  and  often  sick,  and 
with  a  scared  look  in  their  eyes,  as  if  they  were  used 
to  being  driven  away  from  most  doors  except  this  of 
the  monastery. 

The  monk  knelt  on  the  bare  floor  of  his  cell.  He 
was  trying  to  pray;  but  he  wished,  in  between  the 
prayers,  that  he  might  have  been  born  earlier.  If  he 
could  have  had  the  good  fortune,  for  instance,  to  have 
been  born  in  Palestine,  when  Jesus  was  alive,  and  to 
have  been  with  the  crowds  who  followed  him,  to  have 
come  near  enough  to  see  how  he  really  looked,  perhaps 
even  to  have  brought  him  a  cup  of  cold  water,  then 
indeed,  life  would  have  been  worth  while. 

All  at  once,  it  seemed  to  him  that  it  had  lightened  in 
his  cell;  and  then  he  saw  a  vision.  It  was  as  if  Jesus 
himself  stood  there,  not  as  he  was  painted  on  the  con- 
vent walls,  but  as  he  went  about  Galilee.     It  was  hke 


202  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

having  one's  wish  granted;  the  monk  forgot  the  bare 
cell  with  its  stone  floor;  it  was  as  if  he  were  in  Gahlee 
too.  He  felt  that  if  he  kept  very  still,  he  might  hear 
the  ripphng  of  water  on  the  shores  of  the  lake.  Jesus 
might  even  speak. 

Suddenly  the  bell  of  the  monastery  began  to  ring. 
Never  had  it  sounded  so  harsh.  Never,  the  monk 
thought,  had  it  rung  so  long.  If  the  vision  should 
speak  now,  he  could  not  hear.  Worst  of  all,  the  monk 
knew  what  that  bell  meant.  It  was  noon.  Outside 
the  gate  the  poor  were  waiting,  and  it  was  his  turn  to 
feed  them. 

Yet,  if  he  went,  he  might  never  again  see  the  vision 
of  Jesus  as  he  saw  him  now.  All  the  days  would  be 
alike  again, — sun  and  rain,  wind  and  snow,  work  and 
sleep,  and  every  day  the  poor.  How  could  he  let  this 
great  joy  go? 

Still  the  bell  clanged.  The  monk  rose  from  his 
knees  and  hurried  away  with  many  a  backward  look 
at  the  vision  still  standing  in  his  cell.  He  could  not 
forget  the  scared  look  in  the  eyes  of  the  beggars  who 
were  waiting.  If  he  did  not  go,  it  would  be  another 
twenty-four  hours  before  they  had  anything  to  eat. 

There  they  were,  peering  tlirough  the  iron  grating, — 
rags,  sharp  elbows,  thin  faces.  How  different  from  the 
vision!  And  yet,  v/hy  had  he  forgotten  the  words 
which  Jesus  had  once  spoken,  ^^  Inasmuch  as  ye  have 
done  it  unto  one  of  my  brethren,  even  these  least,  ye 
have  done  it  unto  me"? 

He  wondered  if  he  would  have  knelt  if  Jesus  had  come 
to  him  in  rags?  He  felt  ashamed.  He  opened  the 
gate,  and  went  out  to  the  poor;  and  he  passed  the  bread 
and  wine  among  them  as  if  they  were  his  master  and 
he  their  servant.  They  gazed  at  him  in  wonder,  but 
the  fear  went  from  their  eyes. 


DOERS   OF  THE   WORD  203 

Then  he  hurried  back  to  his  cell.     Would  the  vision 
still  be  there?     It  was  an  hour  ago,  a  long  hour.     He 
stood  in  his  doorway.     Yes!    There  it  was.     He  fell 
on  his  knees  again,  his  heart  full  of  happiness;  and  now, 
in  the  perfect  silence,  the  vision  spoke, 
^'Hadst  thou  stayed,  I  must  have  fled!'^ 
And  the  monk  understood. 
(Adapted  from  "The  Legend  Beautiful,^ ^  hy  Henry  Wads- 
worth  Longfellow.) 

Expressional  Work 

The  passage  from  Matthew  (25:  34-40)  is  used  as  a 
reading  lesson. 

Home  Work 

Longfellow's  poem,  from  which  this  story  is  adapted, 
should  interest  the  children  as  a  different  form  of 
expression. 

The  story  of  Sir  Philip  Sidney,  from  Fifty  Famous 
Stories  Retold  is  worth  telling  in  this  connection. 


LESSON  36 
OUR  LADY'S  TUMBLER 

The  Purpose 

The  famous  story  of  the  tumbler  who  turned  monk 
is  retold  here  to  teach  the  lesson  of  doing  the  best  one 
can,  even  when  one's  best  seems  very  poor  indeed. 

The  Approach 

The  appeal  of  this  story  to  children  will  be  along  two 
lines:  their  tendency  to  ideahze  certain  people  older 
than  themselves,  and  their  desire  to  shine  with  the 
persons  ideahzed.  Usually  they  think  of  their  achieve- 
ments in  this  line  as  much  greater  than  they  are. 
Humihty  is  short-Uved  if  it  hves  at  all.  Tom  Sawyer, 
turning  hand-springs  in  Becky  Thatcher's  front  yard, 
was  as  supreme  in  his  nobiUty  as  if  he  had  asked  her 
to  share  with  him  the  governor's  mansion ;  and  she  was 
as  well  satisfied.  But  the  awful  possibiHty  of  being 
outdistanced  by  a  rival  should  enlist  their  sympathies 
for  Our  Lady's  Tumbler.  Begin,  not  by  asking  what 
persons  they  idealize — they  would  not  tell  if  you  did  ask, 
— but  with  the  memory  verse.  Then  ask  them  to 
think,  as  you  tell  the  story,  how  it  applies.  Be  very 
careful,  in  telling  the  story,  to  keep  the  tumbler's 
modesty  in  the  foreground.  It  would  be  fatally  easy 
for  the  children  to  think  that  such  marvellous  agiUty 
was  the  highest  service  anyone  could  desire. 

201 


DOERS   OF   THE   WORD  205 

Memory  Verse 

He  that  is  faithful  in  a  very  little  is  faithful  also  in 
much. 

Luke  16:10. 

Our  Lady's  Tumbler 

He  was  an  acrobat  in  France.  He  went  about  from 
town  to  town,  dancing  and  leaping,  springing  and 
tumbling,  with  his  heels  in  the  air  and  his  head  near  the 
ground,  doing  all  sorts  of  wonderful  tricks  with  his 
body  which  you  would  have  said  no  human  body 
could  be  made  to  do.  Wherever  he  went,  a  crowd 
collected.  The  old  men  watched  him  with  open 
mouths;  the  children  laughed  and  shouted  and  clapped 
their  hands.  When  night  came,  his  pockets  were 
heavy  with  silver,  for  the  good  French  townsfolk  en- 
joyed his  tumbling  as  they  did  no  other  amusement, 
and  they  paid  well  for  what  they  liked. 

So  the  acrobat  grew  rich.  He  had  horses  and  gay 
clothes  and  money  laid  away.  Still  he  performed  for 
the  people,  for  it  was  all  he  could  do.  He  could  not 
read  or  sing,  he  knew  no  trade,  and  he  was  not  one  to 
be  idle.  He  was  a  good  man,  too,  who  went  regularly 
to  church,  for  although  he  could  not  even  say  a  prayer, 
he  liked  to  be  where  others  were  saying  them. 

But  a  day  came  when  he  was  disgusted  with  his  life, 
with  the  continual  leaping  and  springing  and  tumbling. 
He  felt  himself  a  useless  creature  to  be  doing  that  all 
the  time,  when  other  men  were  earning  an  honest 
living  at  shoe-making  or  carpentry  or  selling  goods. 
There  was  no  chance  for  him  to  do  these  things,  how- 
ever; he  did  not  know  how:  so  he  decided  to  sell  his 
horses  and  gay  garments,  and  giving  all  his  money  to 
the  church  to  enter  a  monastery  and  become  a  monk, 
since  he  so  loved  the  church  and  God. 


206  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

He  went  about  it  with  great  earnestness,  and  soon 
found  himself  in  the  monastery,  in  company  with 
many  other  monks,  with  a  Httle  cell  to  sleep  in,  long, 
sunny  cloisters  to  walk  in,  and  the  chance  to  go  to 
church  several  times  each  day.  But  he  soon  wearied 
of  this,  also,  for  his  brother  monks  all  were  busy. 
Each  had  his  trade  at  which  he  worked  steadily,  much 
as  men  worked  in  the  towns.  Even  in  church,  each 
monk  had  something  to  do,  reading  the  Gospels,  recit- 
ing a  Psalm,  or  saying  a  prayer.  But  our  poor  minstrel 
had  not  even  learned  the  Lord's  Prayer!  All  he  could 
do  was  to  sit  still  and  listen. 

One  day,  as  he  walked  in  the  cloister,  he  said  to 
himself, 

^Toor  wretch  that  I  am,  what  do  I  do  here?  There 
is  no  one  so  low  in  all  the  convent  but  strives  to  serve 
God  in  his  own  manner;  but  I  have  no  trade,  and  I 
do  nothing.  Fool  was  I  to  come  into  this  place,  for 
I  know  no  prayer,  or  anything  else  that  is  good.  I  see 
one  working  here,  another  there,  but  I  do  nothing  but 
dream  away  the  time  and  eat  my  bread  to  no  purpose. 
Now  if  anyone  notices  my  idleness,  a  sorry  fall  will  be 
mine,  for  they  will  cast  me  out  of  doors.  And  here  am 
I,  a  strong  fellow,  and  yet  I  do  nothing  but  eat.  Truly 
I  am  a  poor  creature  in  a  goodly  place." 

And  he  wept  and  prayed  for  help. 

He  went  on  through  the  cloister,  looking  this  way 
and  that,  until  he  came  to  a  crypt,  which  is  an  under- 
ground chapel,  and  saw  there  an  altar  with  a  statue 
over  it  of  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus.  He  thought 
that  if  she  were  alive,  she  would  pity  him.  Perhaps  he 
remembered  his  own  mother.  He  wished  more  than 
ever  that  he  might  do  something  for  her  and  for  Jesus 
and  his  Father  in  heaven,  and  despised  himself  even 
more  hotly  because  there  seemed  to  be  nothing  he  could 


DOERS   OF   THE    WORD  207 

do.  So  he  went  down  into  the  cool  crypt,  dark  except 
for  the  light  from  the  door  and  candles  burning  on  the 
altar,  and  crouched  down  on  the  floor,  as  close  to  the 
altar  as  he  could  get. 

He  stayed  there  very  still  and  very  miserable  until 
he  heard  music  and  knew  that  service  was  beginning 
upstairs, — that  the  monks  were  going,  two  by  two, 
to  read  the  Gospel  and  recite  the  Psalm  and  say  their 
prayers.    He  sprang  to  his  feet  ashamed. 

''Now  everyone  is  doing  his  part,  and  I  do  nothing. 
Can  I  serve  in  no  way?  Indeed  I  will — I  will  do  what 
I  have  been  taught  to  do.  The  others  serve  by  singing, 
and  I  will  serve  by  tumbling." 

He  took  off  his  cloak  and  made  ready.  Then  he 
looked  up  at  the  statue. 

''Gentle  Lady,  do  not  despise  that  which  I  know,  for 
I  would  serve  you  in  all  good  faith,  and  so  may  God 
help  me.  I  know  not  how  to  read  or  sing,  but  right 
gladly  will  I  show  you  my  choicest  tricks  of  tumbling." 

He  began  to  leap  and  spring  and  dance,  doing  his 
best.  And  every  now  and  then,  he  would  go  down  on 
his  knees  before  the  altar,  and  say, 

"Gentle  Lady,  despise  not  my  service." 

He  did  all  the  tricks  which  the  townsfolk  had  praised 
most,  and  finally  he  invented  a  new  one,  and  said, 

"Lady,  this  trick  did  I  never  before.  It  is  wholly 
new,  and  not  for  common  folk." 

As  long  as  the  service  lasted,  he  leaped  and  danced 
until  he  sank  to  the  ground,  completely  tired  out. 

At  length,  he  rose,  very  hot,  and  put  on  his  cloak. 

"Gentle  Lady,"  he  said,  "henceforth  will  I  be  your 
servant,  and  while  the  others  of  the  convent  are  chant- 
ing, I  will  come  here  and  tumble  for  your  delight." 

Every  day  he  came  back  and  did  his  best.  The 
others  knew  that  he  went  every  day  to  the  crypt,  but 


208  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

no  one  knew  what  he  did  there;  and  he  did  not  wish 
them  to  know:  for  his  service  was  unusual,  since 
dancing  in  church  has  not  often  been  approved  of; 
and  he  was  afraid  that  if  the  abbot,  who  was  head  of 
the  convent,  knew  what  he  was  doing,  he  might  not 
understand,  and  would  turn  him  out. 

But  one  of  the  monks,  more  curious  than  the  rest, 
followed  him  to  the  crypt  and  watched  through  a 
crack  in  the  door.  He  saw  it  all,  the  leaping  high  in 
the  air,  the  dancing  and  springing  and  tumbling,  the 
bowing  before  the  altar.     At  first  the  monk  laughed. 

'Truly,''  he  said,  ^'I  never  saw  anything  like  this 
before.  I  wish  all  the  convent  were  here  to  enjoy  it 
with  me." 

But  then  he  was  sorry  for  what  he  had  said,  for  he 
saw  that  the  man  was  not  doing  it  for  his  own  delight, 
but  as  a  service;  for  he  worked  so  hard  at  his  tumbling 
that  his  face  was  white  and  drawn,  and  when  it  was 
over  he  fell  on  the  ground  completely  worn  out.  So, 
instead  of  telling  the  whole  convent,  the  monk  went 
only  to  the  abbot  and  told  him  what  he  had  seen. 

Next  day  the  abbot  and  the  monk  went  early  to  the 
crypt,  and  hid  in  a  dark  nook  near  the  altar.  When 
the  service  began  upstairs,  the  minstrel-monk  came  in, 
took  off  his  cloak,  and  began  his  tumbling.  At  last, 
he  fell  down  in  a  faint,  and  the  abbot  and  the  monk 
were  so  sorry  that  it  seemed  to  them  that  Mary  herself 
came  into  the  crypt  and  cared  for  the  minstrel,  fanning 
him  and  caring  for  him  as  his  own  mother  would  have 
done. 

The  two  stole  out  of  the  crypt,  and  the  abbot  bade 
the  monk  say  nothing  about  it,  for  this  was  in  very 
truth  a  good  man,  who  was  doing  his  best. 

Soon  afterward,  the  abbot  called  the  minstrel-monk, 
and  asked  him  to  tell  him  the  truth,  in  what  manner  he 


DOERS   OF   THE    WORD  209 

served.  The  man  was  badly  frightened;  he  was  sure 
now  that  he  would  be  turned  out,  and  he  could  not  bear  to 
go  back  to  his  old  life  in  the  world.  But  the  abbot  urged 
him,  and  he  told  him  all  his  story  as  you  have  heard  it. 

^^ Brother,"  said  the  abbot,  ''I  pledge  you  my  word 
that  you  shall  be  of  our  fellowship.  God  grant  that  we 
may  be  as  deserving  as  you.  And  you  and  I  will  be 
good  friends.  And  I  beg  and  command  you,  dear 
friend,  to  perform  your  service  as  you  have  done  before, 
and  yet  more  dihgently,  if  you  are  able." 

So  it  was  that  the  acrobat-monk  went  back  to  his 
tumbhng  before  the  altar.  He  was  no  longer  unhappy, 
since  he  knew  that  his  service  was  accepted;  and  he 
won  great  honor  with  God,  for  he  served  well. 

(Adapted  from  the  French  legend.) 

Application 

Why  did  the  tumbler  think  that  his  service  was  not 
as  good  as  what  the  other  monks  were  doing?  Why  did 
the  abbot  think  it  was  right? 

Let  us  repeat  the  memory  verse  again.  In  what  way 
does  it  remind  you  of  the  story? 

Expressional  Work 

The  memory  verse  is  printed  on  the  pupil's  leaf 
with  a  capital  to  be  colored.  Remind  the  children 
again  that  the  monks  did  this  kind  of  work. 

Home  Work 

As  usual,  ask  for  frequent  repetition  of  the  memory 
verse. 

Emerson's  Fable,  ''The  mountain  and  the  squirrel," 
is  a  concise  statement  of  the  truth  taught  in  the  story  of 
"Our  Lady's  Tumbler." 


LESSON  37 

THE  PEACE  OF  ST.  CUTHBERT 

The  Purpose 

The  story  of  St.  Cuthbert  on  the  island  of  Fame 
teaches  us  a  lesson  of  trust  in  the  Father,  with  love  and 
protection  for  his  creatures,  especially  the  birds. 

The  Approach 

Talk  for  a  few  minutes  with  the  class  about  the  birds 
they  know.  If  they  were  going  to  tame  wild  birds,  how 
would  they  behave? 

Read  this  passage  from  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount: 
Therefore  I  say  unto  you,  Be  not  anxious  for  your  life, 
what  ye  shall  eat,  or  what  ye  shall  drink;  nor  yet  for  your 
body,  what  ye  shall  put  on.  Is  not  the  life  more  than  the 
foody  and  the  body  more  than  the  raiment^  Behold  the 
birds  of  the  heaven,  that  they  sow  not,  neither  do  they  reap, 
nor  gather  into  barns;  and  your  heavenly  Father  feedeth 
them, 

(Matthew  6:  25,  26.) 

There  was  once  a  boy  who  cared  for  the  birds,  and 
who  trusted  his  heavenly  Father  much  as  the  birds  did. 
This  is  his  story. 

The  Peace  of  St.  Cuthbert 

Cuthbert,  the  shepherd  boy,  sat  on  the  ground  with 
his  back  against  a  tree.  Not  that  he  often  sat  still. 
He  was  so  strong  that  he  liked  to  be  in  motion.     He 

210 


DOERS   OF  THE   WORD  211 

would  more  often  climb  a  tree  than  sit  beneath  it. 
But  now,  with  the  sun  high,  it  was  pleasant  to  feel  the 
shade  of  the  giant  oak,  to  sit  between  its  roots  as  in 
an  arm-chair,  to  look  up  through  the  branches.  He 
could  hear  the  river  down  below,  rippling  against  its 
banks  where  the  current  was  swift.  Otherwise,  all 
was  still.     Even  his  friends  the  birds  were  taking  a  nap. 

Did  you  ever  have  a  bird  so  tame  that  it  would  eat 
out  of  your  hand?  All  birds,  even  the  wildest,  were 
tame  with  Cuthbert.  They  would  alight  fearlessly 
on  his  head  or  hands  or  shoulders,  whether  he  had  food 
for  them  or  not.  They  would  fly  after  him  when  he 
went  after  the  sheep.  He  knew  all  their  secrets,  where 
their  nests  were  hidden,  when  the  baby  birds  would 
have  their  first  lesson  in  flying.  The  mothers  never 
scolded  Cuthbert  when  he  counted  their  eggs.  They 
would  even  let  him  take  their  little  ones  in  his  hands 
and  smooth  the  soft  feathers. 

This  noon,  Cuthbert  was  feeling  less  joyous  than  usual. 
He  had  made  up  his  mind  to  leave  this  happy,  out- 
door life,  and  the  companionship  of  his  feathered  friends. 
Not  long  ago,  he  had  had  a  dream  which  he  could  not 
forget.  Out  of  the  dark  sky  came  a  path  of  golden 
light,  and  down  this  path,  floated  bright- winged  angels. 
Then  he  saw  them  going  upward,  carrying  a  beautiful 
flower.  When  he  heard  next  day  of  the  death  of  the 
good  Bishop  of  Lindisfarne,  Cuthbert  believed  that 
the  dream  had  been  a  vision  of  angels  carrying  the 
Bishop's  soul  to  heaven.  He  thought  about  it  so  much 
that  he  decided  to  become  a  monk  himself.  He  thought 
he  could  do  more  as  a  monk  than  by  staying  a  shepherd 
all  his  life.  Perhaps  some  day  he  might  become  as 
great  as  the  Bishop  of  Lindisfarne  himself  had  been. 

(In  those  days,  men  thought  that  the  best  way  to 
serve  God  was  to  enter  a  monastery.     And  as  vou  have 


212  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

seen,  in  other  stories,  the  monks  did  a  great  deal  of 
good.) 

So  Cuthbert  entered  Melrose  Abbey  and  became  a 
monk.  It  was  hard  at  first  for  a  shepherd  boy  to  live 
so  quietly,  but  he  soon  found  that  the  poor  people  about 
the  Abbey,  whom  he  was  sent  to  help,  trusted  him  very 
much  as  the  birds  had.  He  grew  happier  and  did  his 
work  better  and  better,  and  when  the  Abbot  died, 
Cuthbert  was  chosen  to  fill  his  place. 

All  this  time,  while  Cuthbert  was  serving  men,  he 
never  lost  the  friendship  of  the  birds.  Other  creatures 
trusted  him,  too.  Every  day,  he  plunged  into  the  sea; 
and  one  cold  afternoon,  when  he  came  shivering  up  the 
beach,  two  little  otters  trotted  to  meet  him  and  rubbed 
their  furry  sides  against  his  wet  feet  until  they  were 
warm  and  dry. 

After  a  time,  Cuthbert  grew  tired  of  living  in  the 
Abbey.  He  remembered  how  happy  he  had  been  as 
a  shepherd,  and  beheved  he  could  be  of  more  use  to 
men  if  he  gave  up  being  Abbot  and  lived  by  himself. 
He  took  a  boat  one  day,  and  rowed  himself  out  to  the 
island  of  Fame.  It  was  hke  a  mountain  peak,  rising 
out  of  the  sea.  There  were  cliffs  where  the  gulls  lived 
and  crevices  where  the  sea-birds  made  their  nests,  but 
no  trees.  Yet  Cuthbert  liked  it  so  much  that  he 
decided  to  build  himself  a  little  house  there  and  live 
in  it  the  rest  of  his  life. 

His  house  was  very  tiny.  There  were  only  two  rooms. 
One  served  as  bed-room,  dining-room,  kitchen,  and 
sitting-room.  The  other  was  a  chapel,  where  Cuth- 
bert went  to  pray.  The  walls  were  turf  and  stone,  the 
roof  was  thatched  with  straw.  It  might  have  been  cold, 
had  not  the  great  cliffs  behind  it  kept  off  the  wind. 
Out  of  the  rocks  near  by  bubbled  a  spring  where  Cuth- 
bert got  his  water,  and  in  a  sheltered,  sunny  spot,  he 


DOERS    OF   THE    WORD  213 

planted  a  garden  where  he  raised  barley.  It  seems 
like  a  simple,  bare  life,  but  Cuthbert  was  satisfied  at 
last.  For  he  had  always  beheved  that  his  heavenly 
Father  would  put  food  in  his  way  as  he  did  for  the  birds; 
and  on  this  lonely  island  he  felt  nearer  to  his  Father 
than  he  ever  had  before.  Perhaps  it  was  because  it 
was  easier  for  him  to  enter  into  his  inner  chamber. 

This  does  not  mean  that  he  never  saw  people.  They 
came  to  him  in  boats  from  the  mainland,  and  he  often 
went  to  them,  when  he  could  be  of  help  to  them.  But 
except  for  these  visits,  Cuthbert  and  the  birds  had  the 
island  to  themselves.  The  birds  came  to  breakfast, 
dinner,  and  supper.  When  he  explored  the  island, 
they  hopped  along  at  his  heels  or  flew  about  his  head 
and  shoulders,  just  as  when  he  kept  the  sheep.  Once 
the  blackbirds  stole  his  barley  and  he  had  to  scold  them, 
but  it  is  said  that  they  were  so  ashamed  that  they 
brought  him  a  big  lump  of  suet  to  make  up. 

Cuthbert  did  more  for  the  birds  than  just  to  be  their 
friend  while  he  was  Uving.  He  declared  that  anyone 
who  hurt  the  birds  would  be  punished  in  some  way, 
and  that  the  birds  themselves  would  suffer  if  they 
hurt  each  other.  This  was  called  the  peace  of  St. 
Cuthbert.  By  this  time,  the  people  on  the  mainland 
thought  of  Cuthbert  as  not  being  like  other  men.  He 
seemed  to  them  to  be  holy,  to  have  more  power  than 
they  could  ever  have;  and  when  he  said  that  they  would 
be  punished  if  they  ever  hurt  the  birds  on  the  island 
of  Fame  they  believed  him. 

After  he  died,  they  thought  more  of  this  than  ever. 
The  people  whom  he  had  always  helped  missed  him 
very  much,  and  the  church  made  him  a  saint.  I 
think  the  birds  must  have  missed  him  too.  Perhaps 
they  wondered  why  men  no  longer  came  to  shoot 
them  for  their  beautiful  feathers,  as  they  had  before 


214  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

St.  Cuthbert  came  to  live  on  the  island.  They  did 
not  know  that  he  was  still  protecting  them  by  the  word 
he  had  spoken  before  he  died. 

All  this  happened  centuries  ago,  but  it  is  said  that 
even  to-day  the  birds  on  the  island  of  Fame  are  so 
tame  that  they  will  let  anyone  pick  them  up — as  if 
they  still  felt  themselves  safe  because  of  the  peace  of 
St.  Cuthbert. 

Expressional  Work 

A  leaf  is  furnished  with  blank  space  for  the  children 
to  write  as  many  ways  as  they  can  think  of  in  which 
they  can  care  for  the  birds. 

Home  Work 

There  are  many  beautiful  stories  and  poems  about 
birds.  One  of  the  most  attractive  is  "Peter  of  the 
Wild  Rose  Tree/'  by  Patten  Beard,  in  St.  Nicholas 
for  May,  1914.  Section  II  of  The  Little  Child  at  the 
Breakfast  Table  has  an  anecdote  of  Luther  called  "The 
Bird  and  the  Night.''  Read  Celia  Thaxter's  poem, 
"The  Sandpiper,"  and  Longfellow's  "The  Emperor's 
Bird's  Nest." 


LESSON  38 

THE  HOLY  GRAIL 

The  Purpose 

The  "word"  which  governs  this  lesson  is,  "Ye  there- 
fore shall  be  perfect,  as  your  heavenly  Father  is  per- 
fect;" although  the  spirit  of  it  is  better  expressed  by 
the  form  of  command  as  it  is  given  in  the  authorized 
version.  It  is  a  phrase  full  of  possibilities  for  the  very 
young,  for  whom  nothing  is  impossible.  It  expresses 
the  ideal  which  is  nearer  in  childhood  than  it  can  ever 
be  again,  because  of  the  amazing  purity  of  a  child. 

The  story  of  Sir  Galahad  has  been  chosen  to  illus- 
trate this  theme  because  Sir  Galahad  was  the  purest 
of  knights.  He  is  the  symbol  of  youth.  From  him 
the  Grail  is  never  hidden.  It  leads  him  through  dark- 
ness and  danger  and  the  doing  of  great  deeds  to  the 
spiritual  kingdom  where  his  reward  is  waiting. 

From  an  ethical  point  of  view,  this  is  one  of  the  les- 
sons from  which  one  may  not  extract  the  moral  without 
violating  the  form  of  the  story  and  lessening  its  power. 
It  is  a  legend  dearly  loved  by  children;  if  your  pupils 
have  not  met  with  it  already — so  that  they  may  help  you 
in  the  telling — they  are  sure  to  meet  with  it  later. 
It  is  our  privilege  to  connect  it  with  the  text  which 
embodies  for  all  children  of  the  Father  the  ideal  of 
perfection. 

Memory  Verse 

Ye  therefore  shall  be  perfect,  as  your  heavenly  Father  is 
perfect. 

Matthew  5:48. 
215 


216  CHILDREN    OF   THE    FATHER 

The  Approach 

Teach  the  class  the  memory  verse. 

Who  said  these  words? 

Explain  what  the  Holy  Grail  was.  Refer  to  the 
Last  Supper,  and  to  the  cup  from  which  Jesus  drank. 
This  was  afterwards  called  the  Holy  Grail,  ''grail" 
meaning  cup ;  it  was  holy  because  everything  connected 
with  Jesus  became  holy  after  his  death,  through  the 
great  love  of  his  followers.  Many  beautiful  stories 
were  told  about  it,  and  this  is  one  of  them. 

The  Holy  Grail 

Joseph  of  Arimathaea  loved  Jesus  with  an  exceeding 
great  love.  He  secured  the  cup  from  which  Jesus 
drank  at  the  Last  Supper  and  kept  it  as  his  most  precious 
possession.  When  he  left  Palestine  for  England,  he 
took  the  cup  with  him  to  Glastonbury,  where  he  built 
a  little  church  and  there  kept  the  cup,  or  the  Holy 
Grail  as  it  came  to  be  called.  Many  they  were  who 
came  to  that  church  to  pray;  and  it  was  said  that  who- 
ever could  touch  the  Grail  or  even  see  it  was  cured  of 
all  his  ills,  whether  of  body  or  of  mind. 

But  in  the  meantime,  the  world  was  growing  more 
and  more  wicked.  Men  forgot  the  commandments. 
They  stole,  they  committed  murder,  they  hated  their 
neighbors.  Suddenly,  the  Holy  Grail  disappeared, 
and  it  was  said  that  for  the  sins  of  the  world  it  had 
been  snatched  away  to  heaven. 

King  Arthur  and  his  Knights  of  the  Round  Table 
knew  the  story,  but  they  contented  themselves  with 
helping  the  weak  and  stamping  out  wrong  where  they 
could.  "Live  pure,  speak  true,  right  wrong,  follow  the 
King,"  was  their  motto.  Yet  there  came  a  day  when 
many  of  them  followed  something  else. 


DOERS   OF   THE   WORD  217 

A  pure  maiden,  the  sister  of  Sir  Percivale,  heard  the 
story  of  the  Grail  from  a  man  a  hundred  winters  old. 
As  a  boy  he  had  heard  the  story  from  a  man  as  old  as 
he  was  now.  Some  six  hundred  years  ago,  he  had  been 
told,  the  holy  cup  had  disappeared.  The  old  man 
wished  that  it  might  come  again;  yet  no  one  could  see 
it  now  who  was  not  pure  as  snow,  ''perfect  as  the 
heavenly  Father  is  perfect."  Who  of  all  the  knights 
was  pure  as  that, — unless,  indeed,  it  be  Galahad,  the 
youngest  of  them  ail? 

''O  Father!"  asked  the  maiden,  ''might  it  come  to 
me?" 

"Perhaps  so,"  said  the  old  man.  "Thou  art 
pure." 

Then  the  sister  of  Sir  Percivale  prayed  and  hoped 
and  wished  most  earnestly  that  she  might  see  the  Holy 
Grail.  And  one  still  night,  she  was  waked  by  the 
sounding  of  a  silver  horn  over  the  hills;  and  then  there 
streamed  through  the  window  of  her  room  a  silver 
beam,  and  down  the  beam  shd  the  Holy  Grail,  rose-red 
and  throbbing  as  if  alive,  until  the  white  walls  of  her 
room  were  warm  with  reflections  from  it.  But  as  she 
looked,  the  music  of  the  horn  died  away,  the  beam 
faded,  and  the  Grail  was  gone. 

She  told  Sir  Percivale  what  she  had  seen,  and  he  told 
all  the  knights;  and  they  began  to  wish  and  hope  and 
pray,  that  they  might  see  it  as  the  maiden  had. 

But  Galahad,  the  youngest  of  the  knights,  clad  in 
white  armor,  had  a  look  in  his  eyes  as  if  he  had  already 
seen  it. 

Then,  on  a  summer  night,  when  all  the  knights  were 
sitting  in  King  Arthur's  hall,  they  heard  a  cracking  of 
the  roofs,  and  rolling  thunder,  and  with  the  thunder 
came  a  cry.  A  beam  of  silvery  white  light  shot  across 
the  hall,  and  with  it  came  the  Holy  Grail.     But  as 


218  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

most  of  the  knights  saw  it,  it  was  covered  with  a  cloud 
of  light.  They  saw  not  the  form  of  it  or  the  color,  as 
the  maiden  had  seen.  As  it  passed  out  of  the  hall,  the 
knights  stared  at  each  other,  and  each  saw  the  other's 
face  as  if  it  were  lighted  from  within. 

At  first  they  could  not  speak.  Then  Sir  Percivale 
made  a  vow,  in  a  loud,  clear  voice,  that  since  he  had  not 
seen  the  Grail  itself,  that  he  would  ride  a  twelve  month 
and  a  day  in  search  of  it,  until  he  found  and  saw  it  as 
it  had  appeared  to  his  sister. 

One  after  another,  the  knights  took  the  vow,  Galahad 
first  after  Percivale.  And  in  the  midst  of  the  tumult. 
King  Arthur  entered. 

*'What  is  all  this?''  he  cried. 

But  when  they  told  him,  he  was  sad. 

'^You  are  following  a  cloud!"  he  said.  ^'Hasanyone 
of  you  seen  it?" 

Galahad's  voice  came  echoing  down  the  hall. 

*  'But  I,  King  Arthur,  saw  the  Holy  Grail.  I  saw  it  as  it 
passed,  and  heard  a  cry,  'Galahad,  O  Galahad,  follow 
me!'  " 

"Alas!"  said  the  king,  ''it  is  for  such  as  Galahad  to 
follow  the  vision,  but  not  for  the  rest  of  you.  I  fear 
you  may  not  see  it.  But  go,  since  you  have  made  your 
vows.     They  cannot  be  broken." 

So  the  knights  went  abroad  upon  their  quest;  but  the 
King  was  right.  Many  of  them  never  came  back  at  all, 
and  those  who  did,  told  of  strange  and  terrible  adven- 
tures, and  how  the  wrong  things  they  had  done  kept 
them  from  seeing  the  Grail  even  when  it  seemed  close 
at  hand. 

But  Sir  Percivale  told  a  different  tale.  He  too  had 
had  strange  adventures,  and  at  last  had  come  to  a 
little  chapel  where  a  hermit  lived.  He  was  telling  the 
hermit  of  his  wanderings,  which  seemed  like  dreadful 


DOERS   OF   THE    WORD  219 

dreams,  when  Galahad,  in  silver  armor,  entered  the 
chapel.  And  Galahad  told  them  that  never  yet  had  he 
lost  sight  of  the  Holy  Grail.  He  had  passed  through 
pagan  kingdoms  and  made  them  his;  he  had  overcome 
the  enemies  of  God;  and  always,  moving  with  him 
night  and  day,  he  had  seen  the  Grail,  rosy-red,  on 
mountain-top  and  marsh,  and  it  had  helped  him  to 
conquer  in  his  fight  with  evil. 

"But  now,''  he  said,  "the  time  has  come  for  me  to 
be  crowned  king  in  the  spiritual  city.  Come  thou, 
too;  and  when  I  go,  thou  shalt  see  the  vision." 

So  Sir  Percivale  went  with  Sir  Galahad.  Their  way 
led  up  a  hill,  rough  with  empty  river-beds  and  hard  to 
climb;  and  round  the  top  a  storm  was  raging.  The 
lightning  flashed  continually  on  Sir  Galahad's  silver 
armor.  It  struck  the  dry  old  trunks  of  rotten  trees, 
and  they  blazed  up  until  all  the  hill  was  bright  with 
fire.  At  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  the  other  side  was  a 
black  swamp,  which  they  could  not  have  crossed  had 
not  some  king  in  days  of  old  built  bridges  which  ran 
out  from  it  into  the  sea.  Galahad  ran  rapidly  over  the 
bridges,  and  Sir  Percivale  would  have  followed  but  could 
not,  for  each  bridge  caught  fire  and  burned  after  Gala- 
had passed  over.  But  Percivale  saw  him  far  out  on 
the  great  Sea;  he  could  tell  him  by  his  silver  armor: 
and  over  his  head  hung  the  Holy  Grail,  still  in  a  cloud 
of  light.  And  then  again  he  saw  him — was  he  in  a 
boat  that  ran  so  swiftly,  and  had  he  set  the  sail? — • 
and  he  was  like  a  silver  star;  but  the  Holy  Grail  above 
him  hung  glowing  like  a  rose:  and  Percivale  was  glad, 
for  at  last  he  had  seen  it! 

In  a  moment,  the  sky  blazed  again;  and  Percivale 
saw  the  tiniest  of  little  stars,  and  beyond  it,  hke  a 
glowing  pearl,  the  spiritual  city  with  her  spires  and 
gateways.     Then  from  the  star  shot  out  a  rose-red 


220  CHILDEEN  OF  THE  FATHER 

sparkle  to  the  city,  and  Percivale  knew  that  the  Holy 
Grail  would  never  again  be  seen  on  earth. 

How  he  got  back  he  never  knew;  but  he  found  the 
little  chapel  and  the  hermit,  and  taking  his  war-horse, 
mounted  it  and  rode  back  to  the  hall  of  King  Arthur, 
where  he  told  his  story. 
{Adapted  from  "The  Holy  GraiV  in  Tennyson's  "Idylls 

of  the  King,'' ) 

Expressional  Work 

A  print  of  Sir  Galahad,  from  the  painting  by  Watts, 
is  to  be  pasted  into  the  frame. 

Home  Work 

Ask  for  the  memory  verse,  and  encourage  the  re- 
telling of  the  story.  There  are  many  arrangements  of 
the  King  Arthur  tales  for  children.  One  of  the  most 
interesting  is  The  Story  of  the  Grail  and  the  Passing  of 
Arthur,  by  Howard  Pyle. 


LESSON  39 
THE  SILVER  CANDLESTICKS 

The  Purpose 

The  story  of  Jean  Valjean  and  the  Bishop  is  often 
used  to  illustrate  the  power  of  forgiveness,  or  the 
policy  of  turning  the  other  cheek;  but  here  it  is  told  to 
arouse  the  pupil's  sense  of  justice  and  a  desire  for  fair 
play.  Obviously  the  Golden  Rule  had  not  been  ap- 
plied to  Jean  Valjean's  case  before  he  met  the  Bishop. 
In  adapting  the  story,  those  passages  have  been  em- 
phasized which  picture  the  man's  pitiful  state  of  lone- 
liness on  the  one  hand,  and  the  Bishop's  divine  friend- 
liness on  the  other. 

The  Approach 

Teach  the  class  the  memory  verse,  and  talk  with 
them  about  its  meaning  as  they  understand  it.  Make 
it  as  concrete  as  possible.  A  boy  knocks  you  down. 
Sometimes  it  is  just  for  fun,  and  you  don't  care;  but 
again,  he  does  it  to  be  mean  and  it  makes  you  angry. 
Would  you  do  it  to  him?  What  does  fair  play  mean  to 
the  children? 


Memory  Verse 

All  things  therefore  whatsoever  ye  would  that  men 
should  do  unto  you,  even  so  do  ye  also  unto  them. 

Matthew  7:12. 

221 


222  CHILDREN   OF   THE   FATHER 

The  Silver  Candlesticks 

The  Bishop  was  called  My  Lord  Welcome  because 
his  door  was  never  locked  and  all  were  at  home  in  his 
house  who  chose  to  enter.  But  now  his  good  housekeeper 
was  anxious  about  that  unlocked  door.  A  man  had 
been  seen  in  the  streets  of  the  town  who  was  undoubt- 
edly a  suspicious  and  dangerous  character.  The  streets 
were  dark  and  one  could  not  depend  upon  the  police. 
Hence  it  was  necessary  for  wise  people  to  be  their  own 
police,  bolt  and  bar  their  windows,  and  lock  their  doors, 

"We  say  that  this  house  is  not  at  all  safe,"  contin- 
ued the  servant,  ^^and  if  my  lord  permits,  I  will  go  to 
the  locksmith  at  once  and  have  bolts  and  bars  put  on. 
For  I  say  that  a  door  that  can  be  opened  from  the 
outside  by  the  first  passer-by  is  most  terrible;  besides 
my  lord  is  always  used  to  say  ^Come  in,'  and  in  the 
middle  of  the  night,  oh  my  gracious!  there  is  no  need 
to  ask  permission." 

Just  then  there  was  a  loud  rap  on  the  front  door. 

*'Come  in,"  said  the  Bishop. 

The  man  who  entered  was  not  pleasant  to  look  at. 
He  was  rough  and  wild,  but  his  eyes,  though  bold,  were 
very  tired.     He  began  to  speak  at  once  in  a  loud  voice. 

^'Look  here!  my  name  is  Jean  Valjean.  I  am  a 
galley-slave  and  have  spent  nineteen  years  in  prison 
at  hard  labor.  I  was  set  free  four  days  ago,  and  have 
been  walking  ever  since,  trying  to  find  a  place  to  work 
in;  but  here  is  my  passport.  See  what  there  is  on  it. 
'Jean  Valjean,  a  freed  convict,  has  been  nineteen  years 
in  the  galleys.  Five  years  for  robbery,  fourteen  years 
for  having  tried  to  escape  four  times.  The  man  is 
very  dangerous.'  This  evening,  when  I  went  to  the 
inn,  I  was  driven  off.  I  went  to  another;  it  was  the 
same.     I  went  to  the  prison,  and  the  jailor  would  not 


DOERS   OF  THE   WORD  223 

take  me  in.  I  got  into  a  dog's  kennel,  but  the  dog  bit 
me  and  drove  me  off,  as  if  it  had  been  a  man.  I  went 
into  the  fields  to  sleep  in  the  star-light,  but  there  were 
no  stars ;  so  I  came  back  to  town,  and  was  lying  down  on 
a  stone  bench  in  a  doorway,  when  a  good  woman  pointed 
to  your  house,  and  said,  'Go  and  knock  there.'  What 
sort  of  a  house  is  this?  Do  you  keep  an  inn?  I  will 
pay.  I  have  money, — twenty-one  dollars  and  ninety- 
three  cents  which  I  earned  doing  nineteen  years  hard 
labor.  I  am  very  tired — and  frightfully  hungry;  will 
you  let  me  stay  here?" 

''Madame  Magloire,"  said  the  bishop  to  his  servant, 
"you  will  lay  another  knife  and  fork,  and  put  clean 
sheets  on  the  bed  in  the  alcove.'^ 

The  servant  went  out,  and  the  bishop  turned  to  his 
guest. 

"Sit  down  and  warm  yourself,  sir.  We  shall  have 
supper  directly,  and  your  bed  will  be  got  ready  while 
we  are  eating." 

The  man's  face  changed.  From  being  harsh,  it  was 
stupefied  with  joy. 

"Is  it  true?  What?  You  will  let  me  stay?  And 
you  call  me  'Sir'!  'Get  out,  dog!'  is  what  I  am  called. 
But  you  are  good.     I  will  pay." 

"No.     Keep  your  money,"  said  the  Bishop. 

Madame  Magloire  came  in  with  another  knife  and 
fork  and  the  supper,  and  they  sat  down.  The  table 
was  set  with  solid  silver  which  glittered  on  the  cloth. 
The  Bishop  had  given  away  nearly  everything  to  those 
who  were  poor,  but  he  had  kept  his  silver.  There  were 
six  forks  and  spoons  and  a  soup  ladle,  which  was  very 
heavy. 

"Madame  Magloire,"  said  the  bishop,  "this  lamp 
gives  a  very  bad  Hght." 

Madame  understood,  and  brought  two  candlesticks. 


224  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

also  of  solid  silver,  with  wax  candles.  The  Bishop 
used  these  when  he  had  guests. 

''Sir/'  said  the  man,  ''you  are  good  and  do  not  look 
down  upon  me.  You  receive  me  as  a  friend  and  light 
your  wax  candles  for  me.  And  yet  I  told  you  who 
and  what  I  am." 

"You  need  not  have  told  me,"  said  the  Bishop. 
"You  are  suffering,  and  hungry  and  thirsty,  and  you 
are  welcome." 

After  supper,  My  Lord  Welcome  took  up  one  of  the 
silver  candle-sticks  and  gave  the  other  to  his  guest, 
saying, 

"I  will  lead  you  to  your  room,  sir." 

Jean  Valjean  was  so  tired  that  he  fell  at  once  into  a 
deep  sleep.  But  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  he  awoke. 
He  lay  there,  thinking  over  all  that  had  happened  to 
him.  When  he  was  a  child,  his  father  had  died,  and  he 
had  been  brought  up  by  an  older  sister.  Then  her  hus- 
band had  died,  and  Jean  had  gone  to  work  when  he 
was  only  seventeen  to  support  his  sister  and  her  seven 
little  children.  Then  there  came  a  time  when  no  work 
could  be  found.  The  children  were  starving;  and  in 
a  fit  of  anger,  Jean  had  smashed  a  baker's  window  with 
his  fist  and  stolen  a  loaf  of  bread. 

He  was  arrested  next  morning.  They  knew  by  his 
bleeding  hand  that  he  had  done  it.  For  stealing,  he 
was  sent  to  prison. 

Four  times  he  tried  to  escape,  and  each  time  more 
years  were  added  to  his  sentence.  So  he  served  nine- 
teen years  for  steahng  one  loaf  of  bread,  and  the  pay 
he  had  got  for  his  hard  work  was  twenty-one  dollars 
and  ninety-three  cents!  And  now,  he  was  treated 
worse  than  a  dog. 

They  had  robbed  him.  He  should  have  had  more 
money  for  his  work.     How  could  he  get  it  back? 


DOERS    OF   THE    WORD  225 

He  thought  of  the  Bishop's  silver. 

It  was  heavy;  it  would  be  worth  a  good  deal.  He 
remembered  that  it  had  been  put  away  in  a  cupboard 
of  the  room  near  by. 

So  Jean  Valjean  for  the  moment  forgot  the  Bishop's 
goodness.  He  had  been  treated  so  badly,  indeed, 
before  he  came  to  the  Bishop,  that  it  would  take  many 
kind  deeds  to  make  him  forget  the  blows  and  the  scorn 
which  other  men  had  given  him.  He  stole  the  silver, 
jumped  out  of  his  windov/  into  the  garden,  climbed  the 
wall,  and  was  gone.   But  the  candlesticks  he  did  not  take. 

The  next  morning,  Madame  Magloire  called  to  the 
Bishop  in  great  excitement. 

''My  lord,"  she  screamed,  ''do  you  know  where  the 
silver  basket  is?" 

"Yes,"  said  the  Bishop. 

"The  Lord  be  praised,"  she  continued,  "I  did  not 
know  what  had  become  of  it." 

The  bishop  had  just  picked  up  the  basket  from  the 
flower-bed,  and  now  handed  it  to  Madame  Magloire. 
"Here  it  is,"  he  said. 

"Well!"  she  said,  "there  is  nothing  in  it;  where  is  the 
silver?" 

"Ah!"  said  the  Bishop,  "I  do  not  know  where  that  is." 

As  he  was  finishing  breakfast,  there  came  a  knock  at 
the  door. 

"Come  in,"  said  the  Bishop. 

The  door  opened.  There  were  three  men  holding  a 
fourth  by  the  collar.  The  three  were  police;  the  fourth 
was  Jean  Valjean. 

"Ah,  there  you  are,"  said  the  Bishop  to  Jean  Valjean. 
"I  am  glad  to  see  you.  Why  did  you  not  take  the 
candlesticks,  too,  which  are  also  silver,  and  will  bring 
you  forty  dollars?  Why  did  you  not  take  them  away 
with  the  rest  of  the  plate?" 


226  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

Jean  Valjean  opened  his  eyes  and  looked  at  the 
Bishop  as  if  he  were  just  beginning  to  know  him. 

"My  lord!"  said  the  chief  of  police.  "We  met  this 
man,  and  as  he  looked  as  if  he  were  running  away,  we 
arrested  him.  He  had  this  plate,  but  if  you  gave  it 
to  him—" 

The  Bishop  smiled. 

"You  made  a  mistake,"  he  said. 

"In  that  case,"  said  the  pohceman,  "we  can  let  him 

go." 

"Of  course,"  said  the  Bishop. 

The  police  let  go  of  Jean  Valjean,  who  tottered  as 
if  he  would  fall. 

"My  friend,"  said  the  Bishop,  "before  you  go,  take 
your  candlesticks." 

He  went  to  the  mantelpiece,  fetched  the  two  candle- 
sticks, and  gave  them  to  Jean  Valjean,  who  took  them, 
but  with  wandering  looks. 

"You  can  go,  gentlemen,"  said  the  Bishop  to  the 
police. 

They  did  so.  Jean  Valjean  looked  as  if  he  were 
about  to  faint.  The  Bishop  went  nearer  to  him,  and 
said  in  a  low  voice, 

"Jean  Valjean,  my  brother,  never  forget  that  you 
have  promised  to  use  this  money  in  becoming  an 
honest  man.  You  are  no  longer  a  convict.  You  belong 
to  God." 

And  Jean  Valjean  never  forgot. 

{Adapted  from  ^^Les  Miser ables,^^  hy  Victor  Hugo,) 


Expressional  Work 
The  memory  verse  is  printed  for  color  work. 


DOERS   OF   THE   WORD  227 

Home  Work 

The  memory  verse  is  one  of  the  most  important  of 
the  year,  being  the  Golden  Rule,  and  will  bear  experi- 
mental work  in  carrying  it  out  during  the  week,  as 
well  as  intimate  talks  between  parent  and  child  as  to 
just  what  it  really  means.  Review  the  story  of  Joseph 
and  his  Brothers  as  another  example  of  fair  play. 


LESSON  40. 
CHILDREN  OF  THE  DAY 

The  Purpose 

"Son/^  said  a  certain  father,  "go  work  to-day  in  the 
vineyard."     (Matthew  21 :  28.) 

This  lesson  teaches  the  importance  of  doing  our 
work  now,  —  we  are  "children  of  the  day",  —  that  the 
night  may  not  overtake  us ;  and  although  "the  day  of  the 
Lord",  as  Paul  calls  it  in  his  letter  to  the  Thessalonians, 
may  have  reference  to  the  second  coming  of  Christ 
for  which  the  faithful  were  looking,  it  also  means 
being  watchful  for  opportunities. 

Memory  Verse 

Son,  go  work  to-day  in  the  vineyard. 

Matthew  21:28. 

The  Approach 

The  tendency  to  put  off  little  duties,  not  only  from 
one  day  to  another  but  from  one  hour  to  another, 
appears  early.  The  class  can  understand  this  matter 
from  a  rich  experience.  But  it  is  probably  a  subject 
to  be  handled  delicately.  An  exhaustive  treatment  is 
not  necessary  to  prepare  the  minds  of  the  children  for 
the  story.  Be  sympathetic  and  encouraging.  It  is  so 
easy,  isn't  it;  but  after  all,  putting  things  off  means 
not  getting  anything  done;  and  we  all  want  to  do  great 
things.  That  was  the  way  a  certain  king  felt,  in  the 
story  I  have  to  tell  you, 

228 


DOERS   OF   THE   WORD  229 

Three  Questions 

It  once  occurred  to  a  certain  king,  that  if  he  always 
knew  the  right  time  to  begin  everything;  if  he  knew 
who  were  the  right  people  to  work  with;  and  above 
all,  if  he  knew  what  was  the  most  important  thing  to  do, 
he  would  succeed  in  all  that  he  did  and  become  a  great 
man  whom  people  would  never  forget. 

So  he  had  it  proclaimed  throughout  his  kingdom 
that  he  would  give  a  rich  reward  to  the  man  who  could 
give  the  right  answer  to  these  three  questions. 

Learned  men  came  to  the  King,  but  they  all  answered 
his  questions  differently.  And  as  he  could  not  decide 
which  one  was  right,  he  thought  he  would  do  well  to 
ask  a  hermit,  who  lived  in  the  forest,  and  was  said  to 
be  a  remarkably  wise  man. 

The  hermit  received  none  but  common  folk;  so  the 
King  put  on  simple  clothes,  and  before  reaching  the 
hermit's  cell,  dismounted  from  his  horse,  and  leaving 
his  bodyguard  behind,  went  on  alone. 

When  the  King  approached,  the  hermit  was  digging 
the  ground  in  front  of  his  hut.  Seeing  the  King,  he 
greeted  him  and  went  on  digging.  The  hermit  was 
frail  and  weak,  aad  each  time  he  stuck  his  spade  into 
the  ground  and  turned  a  little  earth,  he  breathed  heavily. 

The  King  went  up  to  him,  and  said, 

^^I  have  come  to  you,  wise  hermit,  to  ask  you  to 
answer  three  questions:  How  shall  I  know  the  right 
time  to  do  a  thing?  With  whom  must  I  work  to  do  it? 
What  is  the  right  thing  to  do?" 

The  hermit  listened  to  the  King,  but  made  no  answer. 
He  took  up  his  spade  and  went  on  digging. 

^'You  are  tired,"  said  the  King,  ''let  me  take  the 
spade  and  work  awhile  for  you." 

''Thanks!"  said  the  hermit;  and  giving  the  spade  to 
the  King,  he  sat  down  upon  the  ground. 


230  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

When  he  had  dug  two  beds,  the  King  stopped,  and 
repeated  his  questions.  The  hermit  again  gave  no 
answer,  but  rose,  stretched  out  his  hand  for  the  spade, 
and  said: 

"Now  rest  awhile — and  let  me  work  a  bit." 

But  the  King  did  not  give  him  the  spade ;  instead  he 
continued  to  dig.  One  hour  passed,  and  another. 
The  sun  began  to  sink  behind  the  trees,  and  the  King 
at  last  stuck  the  spade  into  the  ground,  and  said : 

"I  came  to  you,  wise  man,  for  an  answer  to  my 
questions.  If  you  can  give  me  none,  tell  me  so,  and 
I  will  return  home." 

"Here  comes  some  one  running,"  said  the  hermit, 
"let  us  see  who  it  is." 

The  King  turned  round  and  saw  a  bearded  man  come 
running  out  of  the  wood.  The  man  held  his  hands 
pressed  against  his  side,  and  the  blood  was  flowing  from 
under  them.  When  he  reached  the  King,  he  fell  faint- 
ing on  the  ground,  moaning  feebly.  The  King  and  the 
hermit  unfastened  the  man^s  clothing.  There  was  a 
large  wound  in  his  side.  The  King  washed  it  as  best 
he  could,  and  bandaged  it  with  his  handkerchief  and 
with  a  towel  the  hermit  had.  But  the  blood  would  not 
stop  flowing,  and  the  King  again  and  again  removed 
the  bandage,  and  washed  and  rebandaged  the  wound. 
When  at  last  the  blood  ceased  flowing,  the  man  re- 
vived and  asked  for  something  to  drink.  The  King 
brought  fresh  water  and  gave  it  to  him.  Meanwhile 
the  sun  had  set,  and  it  had  become  cool.  So  the  King 
with  the  hermit's  help,  carried  the  wounded  man  into 
the  hut  and  laid  him  on  the  bed.  The  man  closed  his 
eyes  and  was  quiet;  but  the  King  was  so  tired  with 
his  walk  and  with  the  work  he  had  done,  that  he 
crouched  down  on  the  threshold,  and  also  fell  asleep — 
so  soundly  that  he  slept  all  through  the  short  summer 


DOERS   OF  THE   WORD  231 

night.  When  he  awoke  in  the  morning,  it  was  long 
before  he  could  remember  where  he  was,  or  who  was 
the  strange  bearded  man  lying  on  the  bed  and  gazing 
intently  at  him  with  shining  eyes. 

'Torgive  me!'^  said  the  bearded  man,  in  a  weak 
voice,  when  he  saw  that  the  King  was  awake  and  was 
looking  at  him. 

''I  do  not  know  you,  and  have  nothing  to  forgive," 
said  the  King. 

''You  do  not  know  me,  but  I  know  you.  I  am  that 
enemy  of  yours,  who  swore  to  revenge  himself  on  you,  be- 
cause you  executed  his  brother  and  seized  his  property.  I 
knew  you  had  gone  alone  to  see  the  hermit,  and  I  resolved 
to  kill  you  on  your  way  back.  But  the  day  passed  and 
you  did  not  return.  So  I  came  out  from  my  hiding- 
place  to  find  you,  and  I  came  upon  your  bodyguard, 
and  they  recognized  me,  and  wounded  me.  I  escaped 
from  them,  but  should  have  bled  to  death  had  you  not 
dressed  my  wound.  I  wished  to  kill  you,  and  you 
have  saved  my  life.  Now,  if  I  live,  and  if  you  wish  it, 
I  will  serve  you  faithfully  and  bid  my  sons  do  the 
same.    Forgive  mel'^ 

The  King  was  very  glad  to  have  made  peace 
with  his  enemy  so  easily,  and  to  have  gained 
him  for  a  friend,  and  he  not  only  forgave  him, 
but  said  he  would  send  his  own  servants  and  his 
physician  to  attend  him,  and  promised  to  restore  his 
property. 

Having  taken  leave  of  the  wounded  man,  the  Ejng 
went  out  into  the  porch  and  looked  for  the  hermit. 
Before  going  away,  he  wished  once  more  to  beg  an 
answer  to  the  questions  he  had  put.  The  hermit  was 
outside,  on  his  knees,  sowing  seeds  in  the  beds  that  had 
been  dug  the  day  before. 

The  King  approached  him,  and  said: 


232  CHILDREN  OF  THE  FATHER 

'Tor  the  last  time,  I  pray  you  to  answer  my  questions, 
wise  man." 

''You  have  aheady  been  answered!"  said  the  hermit, 
still  crouching  on  his  thin  legs,  and  looking  up  at  the 
King,  who  stood  before  him. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  the  King. 

"Do  you  not  see?"  replied  the  hermit.  "If  you  had 
not  been  sorry  for  me  yesterday,  and  had  not  dug  these 
beds  for  me,  but  had  gone  your  way,  that  man  would 
have  attacked  you,  and  you  would  have  regretted  not 
having  stayed  with  me.  So  the  most  important  time 
was  when  you  were  digging  the  beds;  and  I  was  the 
most  important  man;  and  to  do  me  good  was  your 
most  important  business.  Afterwards,  when  that  man 
came  running  to  you,  the  most  important  time  was  when 
you  were  attending  to  him,  for  if  you  had  not  bound  up 
his  wounds,  he  would  have  died  without  having  made 
peace  with  you.  So  he  was  the  most  important  man, 
and  what  you  did  for  him  was  your  most  important 
business.  Remember  then:  The  man  with  whom  you 
should  work  is  he  with  whom  you  are;  the  most  impor- 
tant thing  is  to  do  him  good;  and  there  is  only  one 
time  that  is  important — Now!"* 

The  story  of  the  King  ends  here;  but  I  think  we  can 
imagine  what  he  did  when  he  went  out  of  the  wood. 
It  was  a  beautiful  morning,  and  the  King  as  glad. 
He  saw  his  castle  standing  on  the  hill,  and  the  sun- 
light flashed  on  the  windows  of  its  towers,  and  the 
fresh  wind  caught  the  banners  floating  from  their 
summits.  He  had  the  day  before  him,  in  which  to  do 
great  things.  He  felt  himself  to  be  a  child  of  the  day, 
a  son  of  the  morning.  He  would  do  good  to  others, 
to  his  mother  and  sisters,  the  servants  of  his  castle, 

*  Adapted  from  Twenty-  Three  Tales  by  Count  Leo  Tolstoi,  trans- 
lated by  L.  and  A.  Maude. 


DOERS    OF   THE   VfORD  233 

the  people  of  the  village;  he  would  work  with  them; 
and  he  would  begin  at  once.  He  never  forgot  his 
visit  to  the  hermit,  and  that  word  ''Now". 

Expressional  Work 

The  last  verse  of  Theodore  Chickering  Williams' 
hymn,  ''The  Armor  of  Light/'  is  printed  on  the  pupil's 
leaf,  with  a  border  and  ornamental  capital.  The 
teacher  will  recall  that  this  is  part  of  the  required 
memory- work  for  the  year. 

*'0  the  ancient  earth  is  calling 
For  such  hfe  as  thine  may  be! 
Ages  gone  were  stumbling,  falling. 
Toward  the  Hght  thine  eyes  shall  see. 
Though  the  old,  heroic  story 
Glow  with  noble  deed  sublime, 
There  shall  be  a  greater  glory 
In  the  coming,  golden  time. 

''Gird  thee,  gird  thee,  0  my  brother. 
We  will  march  in  close  array, 
Trusting  God  and  in  each  other, 
We  are  children  of  the  day." 

Home  Work 

"The  Armor  of  Light"  is  No.  540  in  The  Hymn 
and  Tune  Book,  published  by  the  American  Unitarian 
Association,  1914. 

Another  parable  illustrating  this  thought  is  "The 
White  Flower,"  in  The  Beacon  for  May  2,  1915. 
(Vol.  V,  No.  31).  The  story  'Tolly's  Sky-Rockets," 
by  Harriet  Street  Downes,  is  a  splendid  lesson  in  the 
importance  of  doing  our  work  now.  It  was  published 
in  St,  Nicholas  for  July,  1915. 

END 


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